ME: Fate Reversed
by Tellur
Summary: What if Shepard had been more proactive after ME1? Could she have avoided death? Can she stop the Reapers and find her balance again in the process? And why do they believe the Cycle to be necessary? An alternate universe take on ME2 and 3 - and beyond.
1. Prologue

**AN:** First the obvious things. Mass Effect, the characters, locations, concepts etc., belong to BioWare/EA. I'm just having some innocent fun with it.

If you haven't played the series, please do! Not only will there be spoilers to all three games, their DLC's and the books, but I might just assume some things to be known. This applies especially to ME1 as my story starts between ME1 and 2. There might be some flashbacks to expand on the story or where I feel it will be necessary.

To give you some background: Commander Angie Shepard, now Captain Shepard, is a space born Paragon who was instrumental in beating back the Blitz on Elysium. She's a powerful biotic Adept (somewhere just below Liara, Jack and Samara), an expert marksman and a gifted tactician, well versed in any military doctrine be it contemporary, ancient or alien. She prefers a covert approach to a direct confrontation, analysing the situation before striking. She can be ruthless when it is necessary but will be fiercely loyal to those who have gained her trust. The decision to leave Lt. Alenko to die on Virmire had been an easy one to make but now weighs heavy on her. In public she remains stoic and courteous, but with her friends and crew she is more relaxed. Those whom she trusts, she gifts with her sarcastic humour and her more renegade thoughts which she almost never acts upon. She has flirted with the idea, that holding back the Alliance fleet in the Battle of the Citadel but decided to save the Destiny Ascension and the Council with it.  
She has romanced Liara. It had been love on first sight (of course...).

What to expect from this story: This is an AU retake on ME2 and 3. Some encounters and concepts you might recognize from the games, but the events leading to them and the consequences might be different. One thing that will be different is, that Shepard and her crew will be much more independent. The game was mostly railroaded (which I'm perfectly okay with! Sandbox games like TES are great, but to tell an exciting story it's the wrong approach) so it made sense for Shepard to be told what to do. But that's not the image I have from the independent agents that are the Spectres. So she will take a more proactive role.  
As is fashionable at the moment, I will try my hand on an alternate ending. Personally I rather enjoyed the ending of ME3 - well, I _was_ reduced to tears, so enjoyment is maybe the wrong sentiment, but I found it good nevertheless. Sure there were some plot holes, but lets not go into that. What irks me most in hindsight is what tools the Reapers are. Right up to the end they are made to be the incomprehensible, utterly _alien_ (in a space opera for God's sake!) bad boys. And with their sprouting "We are your salvation through destruction"-nonsense I expected - more.  
So I will fix that. Or try to anyway.

I will rate this as M rather than T, because there will be some rather brutal moments and disturbing concepts.

Last: I'm not a native English speaker, so please forgive me the occasional mutilation of that language.

* * *

Captain Angie Shepard was standing at attention in front of the council, as they kept rambling about the Geth and how they had to be pushed back beyond the Vail. It was pretty clear just who they expected to do the pushing.  
_And what do you expect me to do about that? I'm a freaking Spectre, for Christ's sake! We are covert ops, not an extermination service. Send your fucking fleets, you morons!_

Of course she didn't say that aloud, she was a paragon of virtue after all. Discipline and obedience were her creed. Yet none could forbid her to think what idiots those bureaucrats were. Something she did with increasing frequency.

"With all due respect," God how she hated that phrase when one of her subordinates used it on her. _With all due respect, kiss my arse! _But right now it was perfect. "But I think this is a task better suited for a small fleet, not some lone scout frigate. You are right, I have the most experience in fighting the Geth and I will gladly render any assistance I can, but sending a single ship will not help. We have to crush them with speed. And please don't feed me that line about not wanting to step on the toes of the Terminus' leaders. I'm sure they will understand the need and will be quite happy to get rid of the Geth. They might even appreciate the help. I would recommend that someone, who is on good terms with Aria T'Loak, approach her and smooth things over. I'm sure if the pirate queen of Omega is on our side the pirates wont give us any grief." the Commander addressed the Council as a whole, but the last part she delivered especially to the Asari.  
_The look on her face is priceless! I have to remember buying Liara something nice. To bad I can't get a snapshot of Councillor Tevos turning pale._

"You might have a point there. I think the time is ripe to crush the Geth, before they make another one of their Dreadnoughts." Unexpectedly Councillor Sparatus was the one to first side with her argument. Shepard always figured the Turian opposed her on principle alone.  
_Interesting. Maybe we can expand on that. The Turian military is the closest thing to ours after all. But what's that about that _Geth Dreadnought_? They can't seriously think...? Crap I thought I had them convinced. _

"I agree Councillor Sparatus. The time for covert action against the Geth is over. But I fear the are a lesser concern. What about the Reapers?"  
_Good old Capt... ah _Councillor_ Anderson. At least I can trust him to keep his priorities straight._

"Ah the Reaper threat. I think we want to dismiss that claim. There is no evidence other then a - granted - disturbingly advanced Dreadnought that was, according to every evidence we have seen, designed by the Geth. Intelligence provided by the Salerian STG makes it clear that the Geth wont have enough resources to build another one in the next ten years." quipped Councillor Valern. At least he had the decency to avert his eyes. "There is no Reaper threat. Just the Geth."  
_This can't be happening!_

Tevos looked at her fellow Councillors who all gave her a slight nod. She then addressed Shepard again.  
"Your proposal is approved. We will send a fleet to drive the Geth back beyond the Vail and establish a blockade. It will be a joint effort from every Council race under the leadership of Admiral Hackett. "  
Sparatus seemed to frown at the name but did not openly object. Anderson seemed troubled as well.

"Shepard, this will leave some of our colonies open to pirate incursions. We don't need a second Mindoir or, heavens forbid, Elysium. I would like you to run interference while our ships are away. Do what it takes to keep potential raiders at bay. That is, if the other Councillors agree?" asked Anderson with a slight glance towards his peers. They in turn looked at each other, the Salerian giving a nod, the Turian a slight shake of the head. Tevos remained passive for a moment but spoke up after half a minute of thought.  
"We will approve, under the condition that you tread carefully when beyond the borders to the Terminus. The situation will be precarious as it is. We don't want to antagonize them any further. We can't afford a war with the Terminus systems right now. That will be all. Spectre Shepard you are dismissed." The Human Captain gave a crisp salute, turned on her heel and walked out of the temporary council chambers.  
_That could have gone better. Scratch that! It couldn't have gone any worse! If the Council doesn't do anything against the Reapers we are doomed! What should I do now?_

She was barely out of the building when her omni-tool beeped, a priority message cutting through her mute setting. That meant only one of six people had tried to contact her, four of them she had just left.

_Shepard,  
we need to talk. The Council's inactivity is troubling. I'm on your side, but for now my hands are tied. Meet me in my office tomorrow morning. I have another task for you.  
Anderson_

Slightly feeling better from her mentor's vote of confidence, Shepard made her way toward her apartment.  
That had been on of the perks of her new status. Spectres were given a salary but nothing scandalous as they were expected to mostly provide for themselves. To do that they were given great liberties that normal citizens did not possess. For example staking a claim on mineral nodes required the individual or corporation to pay a hefty sum up front and staggering taxes later on. That allowed only mega-corporations to make a significant profit. It was one of many subtle things the Volus had introduced into the galactic economic system that gave them, mayor stakeholders in most megacorps, an edge. It really was the twenty-first century all over again – in space!  
Spectres were considered a military force and could stake a claim without having to pay for the right to mine the resources. However, unlike proper military they could sell the spoils for a staggering profit. Shepard, like most Spectres, was now moderately wealthy and could afford several safehouses across the galaxy. For now she only had the small two room apartment on the citadel.

It was not much of a safehouse - at least ten people knew of its location. That was okay with her. Now that she was a Spectre, it was expected that she had such a place and her friends and superiors might have been offended if they weren't told. What they didn't know was that Shepard had access to another safehouse that Liara bought for them, that only the two of them knew about. The Spectre arrived at her destination and entered the keycode into the pad beside the door. That type of security measurement seemed a little out of place in this age where better means to secure a door were readily available, but it mostly served as camouflage. The true authentication had very little to do with archaic codes typed into the panel. The system was tailor made by Tali who swore that it was near uncrackable.

The living room inside was dark and empty. Shepard felt on edge. Acting on pure instinct she pulled her pistol, readied a biotic barrier and advanced towards the bathroom. The apartment had actual doors and not the ubiquitous sliding hatches, a fact she felt grateful for right now. A door could be opened without making too much noise.  
A quick glance told her that the bathroom was empty, so she crept towards the bedroom she shared with Liara. Trying to listen trough the door did not reveal anything so she cautiously opened the door.

Immediately the seasoned marine felt very foolish. The only living thing in the apartment besides her was her lover who despite the late morning still slept soundly in their bed. Putting her weapon on a nearby cabinet she moved towards the sleeping form.  
_Guess I'm still on edge. I wish I could just come home after a day's work and just relax. But no rest for the wicked._ Still in her dress uniform she snuggled close to the Asari who stirred and gave a soft sigh. They remained in this pose for an instant and an eternity, perfectly content with each other.  
Only as Shepard nuzzled Liara's neck and crest folds the spell broke.

"What did they say?" Liara asked softly.

Interrupting her caressing Angie rolled on her back. "They wanted me to go after the Geth, can you believe that? But that's not the best part. They 'dismissed the claim on the Reaper threat'. Bastards," she spoke softly, with regret rather than the anger she had felt before. "Things are Bad, Liebling. Capital B Bad. And they don't even realize it. And I don't know what to do. Anderson wants to speak to me tomorrow, but 'his hands are tied'. At least he still believes me."

"That word again. What does it mean? Liebling?" Liara asked innocently.

"Are you trying to distract me, _Doctor T'Soni_?"

"Is it working, _Captain_?" with her back still towards the Human, Liara could not see the expression of deep affection on Angies face.

A sigh preceded the explanation. "It's just a name of affection in German, one of the bigger languages back on Earth. My grandmother on my mothers side is German and she used to call me that when we visited her on Earth. Her small house in that little village in the mountains is the closest thing I have to a home. I wish you could see it."

Finally turning and rolling on top of her lover, hugging her, Liara whispered,

"Then show me. Embrace Eternity."


	2. Making Plans

**AN:** Whew, that chapter was finished faster than I expected. Guess that's a good sign. Two things, before we can get started:

First I want to confess I'm still unsure whether I should use Kaiden or Ash as the survivor of Virmire. I've written in the short summary that Ash survived but I think I will go with Kaiden instead. But I'm still undecided. Luckily I wont introduce them until the next chapter or the one after the next. Gah, decision decisions.

Last I want to thank all those who already have fav'd/subscribed, you are the best. Special props to Taiki for his review!

* * *

Six hours later, the station's light cycle nearly coming to an end, the couple was still lying in bed, clothes for now discarded. The Captain's dress uniform was crumpled in a heap on the floor. She would have to show up in less formal wear tomorrow. _Anderson wont mind._

"Liara, we have to talk." _Not that I want to get up right now._

Reluctantly they disentangled and began to dress in casual clothes. The sight of the usually very correct and elegant Asari in a baggy sweater was something that made the Captain snort with amusement, as always. She was rewarded with a cute blush and a shy grin from the maiden.

As a concession to their conflicting feelings, they decided to talk on the bed. Not wanting any more distractions they sat opposite each other, just out of easy reach.

"What do you want to talk about, Shepard?" asked Liara, using her lovers last name to distance themselves from their amorous activities.

"Isn't it obvious? The Reapers. We have to do something!", the Spectres anger flared for the first time since she had entered the bedroom.

"I know, but where do you want to begin our discussion? What we have to do to stop them? Whom we might be able to convince? Do you want my expertise on the Protheans to find additional evidence?" came the stoic reply. Liara was in her Doctor mode, carefully analysing, utterly clinical. This ability was what led her to the discovery of what she called now the Reaper Cycle, despite her young years. Only when she talked about her work or after she had made a breakthrough she would be swept away with excitement.

The passive tone of her lover snapped Shepard out of her anger. She too settled into a detached frame of mind, just as analytical as Liara's. It was what made her one of the best tacticians and strategists.

The two lovers from just a few minutes ago were no longer recognizable. Gone were softness and contentment. Gone were the smiles and affection. The two women, Human and Asari, radiated a cold professionalism that could faze a Krogan.

They stared at each other, unseeing, for half an hour, both the incarnation of patience.

"'If you know both yourself and your enemy, you can win numerous battles without jeopardy'," quoting Sun Tzu, the Captain broke the silence. "We need to know more about the Reapers. We know they attacked the Protheans by surprise, taking the Citadel, crippling the centralist state. But the war went on for centuries, according to Vigil. We need to know more about that war. How they fought, which tactics they employed, what is useless against them and what might harm them.

"We need Prothean technology for ourselves. If Sovereign told the truth there are hundreds, possibly thousands of Reapers just like him out there. Defeating one of them required a mayor effort. I don't see how we could last even a year against hundreds."

"What do you need me to do?" asked the Doctor on Prothean studies.

"We need to study the Protheans more aggressively. The beacons on Eden Prime and Virmire were just warnings, but there are others like the one on Mars. I believe we have barely scratched the surface of the content within.

"We need to secure Ilos. That planet is a treasure trove and we need to unlock it's secrets as fast as possible.

"We need to escape the technological path the Reapers have forced us on. I believe the Protheans nearly succeeded in that. We _have_ to succeed were they failed.

"I need you to make that happen. I _trust_ you to make that happen," the Captain closed with a fond smile which was gone a second later.

"I see the need and I agree, but you ask much. It will cost a lot of time, effort and money. It is doable but it wont matter much, if the galactic community is not prepared. Technology alone will not safe us. 'Those that stand together are stronger than the sum of their parts.' This is one of my mothers teachings and I believe it to be true.

"It is information we seek, but I think further than you. Information on the Reapers and the Protheans is paramount, but we need information on those on our side as well. Then, if need be, we can strongarm them into doing what is necessary." the Asari conceded.

"Like I did with your information on Tevos," replyed the Spectre with a sombre grin. On a more serious note she continued. "You are right of course. The Salarians maintain that information is the key to win any war. I agree it is important and may win conventional wars but in this it is only the first step of many.

"There is another saying in ancient military doctrine. 'He will win who has military capacity and is not interfered with by the sovereign'. The council has to be sidestepped for the war effort. We might use it but we can not let it dictate us. Anderson will be our link to the council. He is military and understands this maxim. We need to speak directly to the armies. To the Turian Hierarchy, the Salarian STG, the Human Alliance military and the Asari Republics. And we will need the Krogans and the Quarians. This will be my task."

"I can help you with the Asari. My mother is still in high regard and as her grieving daughter I can use this to influence the e-democracy. I can also use the information network we will build to help in this," Liaras tone did not betray any emotion. This worried her lover but this was not the time to address the issue.

"We can use the current political situation in our favour. The animosity between Humans and Batarians is no secret. We need to escalate the conflict to an arms race but avoid a war. It is dangerous and may cost many lives but it is the fastest method to force preparations for war. Humanity is now a council race and we can triple our dreadnought count. The Alliance has to do that post haste. It would also help if they expanded on the carrier design," the Human switched topic.

"Is that wise? What if we can not avoid a war? We will be weakened as a whole. And how will the other races react to this arms race?" the Doctor worried.

"I count on the other races, especially the Turians and Salarians to maintain distance but keep pace with the Alliance. The Salarians wont strike unless their intelligence uncovers a threat, which they wont. Similarly the Turians will not react unless provoked. The Asari will make sure of that. There are still lingering after effects of the Contact War that play in our favour."

The discussion continued along these lines for several hours until they both felt weariness creep in. Satisfied that they had laid a solid foundation they reverted back to their former selves. Holding each other they drifted towards sleep.

* * *

The next morning Shepard made her way towards the Human embassy. After the near destruction of the Citadel it would take time for the new Human Councillor's chambers to be completed. As she entered the compound the Captain noticed now Advisor Udina strutting around in the former Volus and Elcor embassy, apparently talking to someone she could not see. He paid her no mind for which she was glad. They had never seen eye to eye.  
The secretary immediately ushered her inside Anderson's office. She was greeted by her former CO and Admiral Hackett, which came as a small surprise. Giving a crisp salute she was told to stand at ease and take a seat.

"Captain, I am sorry for that fiasco yesterday. I should have known that the other Council members had revised their view on the Reapers," began Anderson

"Permission to speak candidly?"

"Granted."

"The other Council members are morons. We have seen that they would rather ignore a threat until it comes knocking at their door. Or crushing their little space station," the contempt was only thinly veiled. More collected the Spectre continued. "Remember Sun Tzu? About how the ruler should not interfere with the general?"

"I hear you Shepard, and that's precisely why we are here. Admiral Hackett and myself believe you. In our opinion we can't afford not to. We recognize that the evidence is sketchy and much hinges on your word but there is no doubt in my mind that you are right. Now I'm asking you – what shall we do?"

_That's a first. I'm actually asked for my opinion._

"I can't tell you that. Other than 'Prepare for total war' I have no insight I haven't shared with you. So for now that has to suffice. Build dreadnoughts and carriers. Harden our communication lines and our defences. But what we need to do is get information. I would formally request to be granted access to the beacon on Mars. Maybe with the cypher and everything that's buzzing in my head I might get something new out of it. Or maybe Doctor T'Soni is able to uncover something.

"More than anything we need to raise the other races. We might want to fake preparations to go against the Batarians. Maybe a no holds barred arms race will incite the others to prepare."

"That's... dangerous. We can't be seen as the aggressor. The Council wont stand for it," spoke Admiral Hackett. It was the first he said after the greeting. "I agree that we should build up our fleet as fast as possible and I might be able to grant you access to our facility on Mars but gearing up for war against the Batarians..."

"It's necessary Admiral. And I don't believe the Council will interfere. Look at their track record. They never actually do anything until the last minute. The Council is right about one thing though: We can't announce the Reaper thread openly. The people would not comprehend it. Now, Batarians, them they can hate. And I can supply you with material to justify that hatred. As you know I've been tasked to patrol the Skyllian Verge and I'm sure there will be enough dirt to justify a more aggressive stance. I'm not saying we should attack the Batarians – far from it! - we will just gear up and _protect_ our Colonies. No one needs to know that the Reapers are our main motivation."

"But that wont be enough, will it? What about Earth? If the Reapers are bent on destroying us they will hit Earth the hardest."

"Yes, Earth is our main concern, but I can't help you there. Yet. And I can't tell you any more right now, plausible deniability and all that." concluded the Spectre. Seeing that the two older men wanted to argue she continued. "Look, I'm sorry that I can't tell you anything more, but I need you to trust me. I'm not about to break the law per se, but I will shatter the status quo that the Council has long maintained. What I can tell you, is that I intend to speak to the various military forces themselves. I will build alliances circumventing the Council and, if need be, the proper rulers. I will trick, cajole, threaten and convince people to open their eyes and do something. You can help me by doing the same inside the Alliance and on the Citadel. We only got one shot at this. The survival of every space-faring race is on the line."

* * *

"Wrex, can I talk to you for a moment. In private."

Not waiting for an answer Shepard walked over to the elevator. The thundering steps behind her told her, the Krogan Battlemaster was following her. The Normandy's garage was almost empty and normally Angie would trust those who were there with her life, but some thing were better said behind closed doors. After she opened the door to her cabin she stepped aside, letting her companion step in first. Inside she waved her omni-tool over the lock, sealing it so that they would not be interrupted.

"What is it Shepard. I'm not in the mood for games or swapping stories."

_All the better._  
"Then I will be blunt. I need you to go back to Tuchanka."

Watching the Krogan laugh was unsettling but the hardened soldier remained utterly relaxed. After a minute or so, Wrex calmed himself and glanced back at Shepard. His mirth was quickly replaced by suspicion. "You are serious. Why should I go back to that damn hell hole of a planet. There is nothing on it worth my time."

"What about your people?"

"I've told you. They aren't worth it anymore. We were once proud. Fierce, yes, but proud. Nowadays we are just violent thugs, whoring ourselves out for the highest bidder or decimating each other further in pointless blood feuds. The Krogan and I are done."

"That's too bad. You know the Reapers are coming and when they do, we need the fierceness the Krogan are renowned for. But you are right, they are just thugs. They will bicker until the Reapers are on top of them and kill them all. Good riddance."

The hulking Battlemaster was seething with rage by now. Flaring his biotics he took a step closer to the human who in turn glowed in a blue hue.

"Don't mock me Shepard! I respect you but that only means I allow you to apologize and than I'm out of here.!"

"Ah, now we are talking. I can give you what you truly want Wrex. A future for the Krogan. Want to hear me out?" Taking the quenching of his biotics as an affirmative, Shepard continued after dismissing her own biotics. "Saren cured the genophage. There is no reason we can't do the same. But unlike Saren we will make it a true cure, not that mockery we saw on Virmire.

"But that wont help the Krogan. The Turians and Salarians will see you as a threat again and might finish the job. First the Krogan have to find their ancient values. They need their honour back. They have to show everyone that they are ready and willing to join the galactic community once again. For that they will need a leader. They need you!

"You have my word that I will help you any way I can, but you have to make it happen. What do you say?"

"Ha! You got a quad Shepard! Fine, I will go back to Tuchanka and headbutt those fuckers back in line! Just get me that cure and you will have your Krogan army against the Reapers. Maybe then we can finally go back to what we do best – saving every ones asses from giant bug-things-whatever!" the large Mercenary said with a hearty laugh. Shepard allowed herself to smile as well.  
_That was easier then expected._

* * *

After making her rounds on the Normandy, ensuring that they would be good to go in three days time Shepard visited Tali and Garrus. She wanted insights in how they could convince the Quarians and Turians to prepare. It came as a surprise that Garrus was rather well connected, his father being friends with the Primarch of Palavan. But like Tali's relationship with her father, one of the five Admirals, Garrus was not on the best of terms with his, though he was certain, that he would listen if they got proper evidence. The Quarians would be more difficult to approach. Even with an imminent Reaper invasion the Migrant Fleet was best equipped to survive. With their liveships they could hide almost indefinitely, and their reclusive nature made them less prone to infiltration. First their exile had to end. Giving them a home – preferably their old home world Rannoch – would motivate them to fight for it.

It was getting late when Angie returned to the safehouse. Liara was still in front of the terminal were her lover has left her in the morning. Hugging her from behind, Angie looked over the scientists shoulder. Only a sudden smile betrayed the affection went noted.

"A credit for your thoughts," asked Liara after several moments.

"It's called 'Penny for your thoughts'. I was just admiring you. It's amazing how fast you can work through... whatever it is that you work through right now." _She's getting better with Human idioms. I wonder when she finds the time to study them._

"I find, that information stays the same regardless of content. There is not much difference between clues found on digsites spread out across the galaxy and information on dubious shipments. I think I am rather good at this. I still prefer digging though," mused Liara. "When will you depart?"

"_We_ depart in three days. _You_ are coming with me. First stop will be Elysium. After the Blitz the Alliance has established quite the information hub there. From there we can plan our next moves," the Captain's voice did not allow for protest.

"Very well, I will accompany you to Elysium. But then I need to leave the Normandy. We have discussed this. I cannot do what I need to do aboard a star ship that needs to move stealthily. As much as it pains me to be apart from you, I will establish myself as an information broker on Illium." Liara's voice had at least as much steel in it as her lovers. She would not budge.

_Where is the shy, insecure archaeologist I saved on Therum when I need her?_  
"Guess, I have to stop by as often as I can, then," Angie sighed.

"See that you do, or I _will_ come and get you even if I have to drag you from the battlefield in a stasis field," the Asari replied cockily with a serious expression. "And what will you enemies think of you then?" she finished with a smirk.

"Oh that does it! You are so getting a lesson in humility!" came the mock-exasperated exclamation from the Spectre. Tightening her embrace, she lifted her lover out of the seat who began squirming and screaming in amusement.

Only a token resistance was raised on their way to bed.

* * *

**AN: **As I've said in the first authors notes, Shepard will take a more proactive stance in this story. For those of you who think Liara is a little bit out of character - you might be right but I think there is a difference between talking about the subject you like and thinking about it.  
When Liara talks about the Protheans she practically bounces with excitement (remember Jokers quote in 'From Ashes') but when analysing data that is contra-productive. Also I think the cold, ruthlessly calculating Liara from ME2 has to come from somewhere. It is explained by her grief for Shepard but I find it hard to believe that this change was without a foundation. Liara had a lot of growing up to to in ME1 and melding with a tactical mastermind (like Angie Shepard) has changed her. Luckily she is a fast study.

Also: Feel free to comment and criticize. I really want to write the best story for _you_. If someone is interested in beta-read, please PM me.

That's it for now. Next chapter will hop ahead a couple of weeks and might see some action. That will be a challenge!


	3. Project Overlord

**AN:** Things are moving forwards. The current chapter is set almost a year after ME1. Things happened but you will find out soon. Also I've done the unthinkable - I tried to explain the reason why everyone uses thermoclips after ME2! Please don't hit me!

A warning: I haven't played the DLC this chapter is based on so I will take more liberties with the location and everything. Also, this is the first fight scene I've written. Ever. Please tell me what you think about it. As always, criticism, tips and encouragement are very welcome!

Another thing - I didn't give a physical description of Angie Shepard...  
She's a 1,65m (5'5'') powerpack, shorter than average (in the future everyone is taller...), slender, but with well toned muscles from regular exercise. She keeps her red hair (dyed) at shoulder length, tying it back with a bandanna when necessary. Her eyes are a steely gray-blue.

As always, forgive me the occasional grammar mistake. I'm writing this without a beta and more or less live. Please tell me if it's unbearable and I will take more care and time.

* * *

Captain Shepard peered through the scope of her Mantis sniper rifle. She was not entirely happy with the weapon, missing her HMWSR. It was ironic, really.

She, or rather Liara, had pushed for a more aggressive scrutiny of every Prothean remains, from the beacons to ruins like Ilos. And one of the first discoveries that saw practical application just had to be shields and armour. As powerful as the old Spectre-issue sniper was, the new shields could probably withstand it for hours.

A radical shift in weapons had been made to compensate. Power had always been limited by heat dissipation which was usually done by simply radiating excessive heat. This was not possible any more. Any shot powerful enough to even dent the new shields would fry a weapon of old design beyond easy repair. Hence thermoclips.

At first it had felt like going back to the Dark Age, slamming 'magazines' into the weapon and ejecting them when they were overheated, typically after only a few shots.  
_I hope Liara's scientists find a solution fast, because this is getting ridiculous. Maybe the Protheans used Blasters? Maybe I can get my own Lightsaber?_

A small grin spread across the Spectre's face at the notion. _Naah...! Damn you Joker for showing me that vid! Still, that would be awesome..._

Finally motion! One Batarian exited the compound she was observing. She almost snorted with contempt. If this lone figure was the norm, they still used the old weapons and shields. Angie was seriously tempted to just waltz in, trusting in her superior equipment and shoot the bunch at her leisure. She would do no such thing of course. That would be utterly unprofessional. Fun, but unprofessional.

Instead she tapped her omni-tool.

It was perfectly choreographed and executed.

The Batarian was no guard but had simply stepped out to relieve himself. It did not matter. As soon as he was finished and was opening the door again they struck.

Tali implemented her hack that rendered the security cameras useless a second before Kaiden popped up from cover. Giving the sole enemy no time to react he erected a stasis field that rendered the Batarian motionless. Garrus approached him from his blind side and administered an almost unhealthy dose of knock-out drugs as soon as Kaiden lowered the field again.

The whole thing took less than five seconds. Shepard was pleased.

Quickly vacating her hiding spot she joined with her squad to mop up the rest of the bunker.

Only after they had stealthily disabled full half of the occupants an alarm was raised. Dispatching Garrus to double back and cover the exit with his sniper, the Captain advanced with the rest of her troop more openly.

Her initial analysis was only partially correct. While the file and rank had only old equipment that did even come close to being a threat, the leader of this sorry bunch had gotten his hands on one of the new shield generators. His weapon though was not up to snuff. Walking calmly as the particularly large Batarian fired shot after panicked shot at her she revised the mission.

It had been absurdly easy. Yes, the new technology was under a heavy embargo, but after two months contraband was easily available to both the Batarians and the various pirate gangs of the Terminus. This felt like a distraction. Maybe it was. Regardless, such easy missions would soon be over. Intel affirmed that the Batarians had duplicated the technology and were frantically producing. Demand for slaves was at a all time high in the Hegemony, leading to every two-bit thug trying his luck. Like these scum here.

He was probably the fifth son of some middle class paper pusher on Khar'shan, prosperous and well connected enough to front this idiotic venture. The Batarian was now practically frothing with anger at the Human woman in front of him. It was no secret that the four-eyed bastards regarded everyone else – and Human females in particular – beneath them. In his mind she should probably kneel before him - or blow him.

Angie puffed her cheeks and pulled back her hand. She tapped into her biotic abilities, enveloping her fist in a characteristic blue glow. Releasing the air sharply, she struck. Assisted by dark energy the punch bypassed the Batarian's shields and knocked him out cold.

"Pressly, this is Shepard. The mission was a success, the hostages are secure. Send in the clean-up squad.

"Joker, land on the clearing half a klick from the bunker."

Not waiting for her orders to be acknowledged she turned to her squad. "Kaiden, cuff our sleeping beauty and then let's get out of here. I'm sick of this shit." Activating her earpiece again she contacted Garrus to stand down and made her way out of the bunker, Tali in tow. Kaiden quickly followed.

Outside they were greeted by a very relaxed Turian, seemingly supporting himself with his Mantis. It was an act of course, never would he stress his weapon in such a manner. It might bend the barrel by the slightest of margins and he would have to spend hours to calibrate the damn thing again.

"So Shepard, when are we going after the bad boys again? Not that I mind being on vacation, but I expected more sand and scantly clad Asari, not thick forests and stinking Batarians," Garrus asked dryly.

"With our track record by the second day we would fight Godzilla or something," at the puzzled expression on Garrus' face, Angie groaned. "Never mind. Ancient monster from Earth. I really should stop letting Joker pick the vids. Or you could join us sometime."

"Yea, I'm going to pass on that. Now, are we ready to move out, or do we need to help some local wild life too?"

"Shut it Vakarian or you can get your gloves. I think one of those pyjak over there has swallowed a cred-chit," the Captain replied just as dryly.

"Ugn, no thanks. Shutting up now," came the reply, accompanied with a shudder. One time was enough. "But seriously Shepard, this is getting ridiculous. I get that what we do is important, but those scum back there were amateurs. A regular patrol would have handled them just fine. Damn, a squad of pre-booters could have done the job."

"Yea, I get that. But we are not having this conversation now," Shepard had more to say on the matter but was interrupted by Joker.

"Priority call for you, Captain. It's your girlfriend."

"Joker, how many times do I have to tell you not to call her that?"

"But it's true!"

"Not the point! All right, how long until touch down?"

"Five minutes, Captain."

Quickly glancing up towards the sky, scanning for the point that was the Normandy, Shepard considered her options.

"Joker, tell Liara I will call her back in ten.

"LT you are in charge. Tali, see what you can get out of their systems. Garrus, since you obviously don't feel challenged enough you are with me. Let's see if you can run as fast as you can talk."

* * *

Adequately out of breath the duo arrived just in time for the Normandy to touch down. They entered the ship through the forward airlock

"Joker, I'll take the call in the comm-room," Shepard ordered as she passed the helm. "Care to join me, Vakarian?"

"I think I'll pass. I don't want to interrupt... Whatever the two of you do on those long calls," the Turian responded.

"I don't think this is a personal call, Garrus. Joker said it was a priority call. Gotta be something important, Maybe a mission." That got his interest.

"Well if you put it that way..."

The console in the comm-room indicated a call on hold. Quickly pushing a few buttons so that both Angie and Garrus would be visible, the Spectre picked up. Instantly Liara appeared as a blue hologram. QEC technology was fairly new and quite expensive but being a Spectre and the hero of the Citadel again had it's perks. The device allowed secure real-time communications without the need of comm-buoys, but on the downside it was strictly point-to-point. Besides Liara on Illium, the Normandy could only reach the Council and Admiral Hackett's flagship.

"Shepard, Garrus. It is good to see you," the information broker greeted them.

"You as well Liara. Is something wrong? You haven't made a priority call since, well, ever," by now Angie was slightly anxious. Liara's reserved manner was not helping.

"No, nothing is wrong, but I very recently got information that requires swift action. That is, if you wish to act at all.

"I intercepted a distress signal from a facility on Aite. I managed to crack the code they used, it is Cerberus, Shepard. As far as I can tell from the message, they have done illegal research on AI's to control the Geth. Now either the AI, the Geth they experimented on or both are running free. There is a possibility that the AI plans to escape into the extranet."

"That sounds serious."

"It is _very_ serious."

"Pressly, how far are we from Aite?" Shepard asked her navigator over the intercom.

"Approximately five hours, Captain. Shall I plot a course?" came the reply.

"Yes, do it. Contact Command to send in the shuttles and tell them where we are going. Ask them to send reinforcements after us. We depart as soon as clean up squad has left and get me Tali back on board. And recall the Mako. Lt. Alenko is in charge of the ground team that remains here," she ordered quickly. Having taken care of that she turned back to Liara. "Anything else? We still good for Ilos in a week?"

For the first time a true smile appeared on the Asari's face. "Yes Angie, I am looking forward to it."

"Good. Maybe, when this Cerberus mess is cleaned up I'll meet you on Illium. Help you pack," Angie offered.

"I would like that, but now I have to go. Be well Shepard. You too, Garrus."

"See you soon, Liebling." with that the call ended.

"Well Garrus, what do you say? Does that sound like an interesting mission or what?" the Spectre smiled cockily towards her Turian friend.

"If I had known that complaining was all it would take to get us a mission actually worth the name, I would have started sooner and complained louder," replied Garrus, his mandibles twitching in a smile of his on.

"And that would be different from your usual complaining, how?"

"Ouch Shepard. That hurt."

* * *

The galactic map was replaced by a representation of the planet they orbited - Aite. Several markers with annotations pointed to the different facilities their scanners had picked up so far The large communication disc troubled Shepard the most. In only a few hours it would be aligned with a nearby comm-buoy, something they had to avoid at all costs.

"Joker, patch me through to Doctor T'Soni," she told the pilot over the intercom.

"Patching you through, Captain," for once he was professional.

"Hello Shepard, what can I do for you?"

"Hello Liara, good to hear you. We have arrived at Aite but we haven't got much time. Have you found out anything new?"

"Not much I am afraid. It appears 'Project Overlord' is headed by Doctor Gavin Archer, a very brilliant Human scientist who specializes in AI development. As you are aware of course, there are few facilities that are allowed to perform controlled experiments, mostly run by the Alliance. Doctor Archer has vanished almost a year ago, right after the Battle of the Citadel, taking a large part of his team with him, along with his brother David. There is a possibility that part of the staff is not Cerberus and not even aware of their secret backers. It is not unusual for facilities doing AI research to be isolated," came the response.

"Great, so bombing the comm-disc is a last resort. Can't risk innocent scientists after all, even if they play with something they shouldn't, can we Doctor?" Shepard mused, light amusement concealing the tension she felt. _Great, this mission has gone from bad to worse in an instant. It would have been so easy. A single missile and the AI would have been trapped on the planet..._

"That would be preferable. Also you might want to extract any data you can. It could prove invaluable," again Liara was stolidly businesslike, something Angie had come to recognize as a coping mechanism. It troubled her that the once carefree maiden could become so cold. It was more than applying her analytical prowess to situations that instead of ancient remains involved living beings. She wondered if she had rubbed off on the Asari.

"I'll see what we can do. Talk to you later Liara."

* * *

Shepard had called for a full Specialist meeting in the comm-room. There was still time, four hours to be precise, so they could afford to pool their thoughts before storming in head first. When she entered the room she was annoyed. Only Tali and Garrus were there. Than it hit her – the three of them were all that was left of the old ground team. Wrex was on Tuchanka, Liara on Illium, Kaiden oversaw the clean-up of their last mission and Ashley...  
_One of these days I should expand my team. Or get the old one back together._

Similar to the CIC a projection of the four bases hovered before them, only it was a tilted map of the area, not a full simulation of the planet. Making a few hand gestures Shepard enlarged one of the bases, a giant, circular shape distinguishing it from the rest.

"This is our first objective – disabling the comm disc is our first priority," she started the meeting. "Garrus, has you constantly calibrating the guns given us the chance to strike the disc without damage to the facility itself?"

"If Joker can get us close – let's say fifty kilometres – we could try. I would advise against it though," making a few gestures himself the Turian zoomed the picture out a bit. Circling motions highlighted a couple of small structures. "We don't know what these are, not for certain, but they look like ground to air defences. The Normandy's stealth system is useless in atmosphere, even as high as fifty kilometres, and if the AI has taken over the turrets we are done for. Sorry, Captain. We are a frigate not a bomber."

Not having expected anything else the Captain acknowledged the information with a grim nod.  
"So much for that plan. It was a long shot anyway. Tali – do you think you can hack the comm-buoy, just in case? I would hate to disable it permanently but if that's what it takes, so be it."

"Hacking the comm-buoy should be relatively easy. This star system is very underdeveloped and the thing is probably a couple of hundred years old. If it still uses old software I can disable it at a moments notice," came the confident reply from the Quarian. She in turn made a few gestures, again zooming in on the disc. "By the way, I noticed something strange. I'm not sure if it's important, but the disc doesn't seem finished. I mean, the thing is overkill already, but those things here and here suggest they wanted to expand it or strap additional things to it. Big things. I've never seen anything quite like it."

"Any way they could send out a signal without the comm-buoy?" the Spectre asked, troubled by the prospect.

"Yea, sure, but it would be at lightspeed not near instantaneous. The next system is several lightyears away so we don't need to worry. For a real broadcast the thing has not enough power and a directed beam we could easily intercept. It's just that I think there is more going on down there."

"You can bet on that, but we will find out soon enough. Thanks for bringing it up - could be important later on. For now hack the buoy just in case," Shepard ordered but smiled approvingly. Tali had come a long way from her insecure self but still needed some reaffirmation once in a while. "Any idea what the other three facilities are?"

Garrus stood up once again and moved the map to one of the other stations.  
"This one seems to be a geothermal power plant. Lot's of thermal and tectonic activity registering on the sensors. Other than that we don't have anything of relevance. Although this one," again he swiped to navigate to yet another facility, "seems to be constructed above something. Maybe a ship?"

"Well, seems to me we are going in pretty blind. Liara told me, that it's likely some of the scientists aren't aware of whom they are working for. I would like to avoid killing them, if possible. They used to work for the Alliance and might think they still do. Also I would like to salvage any data from whatever they did down there. As much as I hate Cerberus' attitude and work ethic they are right about one thing: We need to know more about AIs if we want to stand a chance against one possibly two synthetic enemies," sensing an incoming argument from Tali, Angie held up a hand to forestall it. "No Tali, we are not going to discuss it right now. I'm not asking you to bring any active parts with you. Just the data, blueprints and any uncompiled code you stumble upon. That's an order.

"I think that's all for now. Tali, get to work on the hack. Garrus, prep the Mako, we are landing here." Shepard finished with marking a spot several klicks out.

* * *

As the Mako finally skidded to a halt after a particularly bumpy ride, the team inside began to relax a little. Shepard was driving, as always, while Garrus manned the turret and Tali kept an eye on the sensors and other readouts.

"That was bad, even for you Captain," quipped Garrus from his station.

"Shut it Vakarian. Or do I have to remember what happened last time you drove? How you managed to flip this baby and at the same time wedged us into a crevice? I think Joker still has the vid how they had to tug us free," came the retort to their friendly banter.

"It's not my fault this thing drives like an Elcor on Rycol. Have you ever seen a drunken Elcor? It's funny – from a distance," Garrus remark had its desired effect. Both Tali and Shepard snorted in laughter at the mental image. "They actually don't slur their words but tell you they are drunk! 'With inebriated friendliness: I think you have mistaken me with another Elcor, Officers. I never drink.' Funny thing is, I was alone at that time," his imitation of the Elcor's monotonous speech was pretty good. Tali and Angie couldn't take it any more, they broke into a fit of laughter.

"Okay, that's enough," blinking tears from her eyes the Captain straightened up again. Getting her bearings she set the tank into motion. The drive was uneventful except the occasional giggle from Tali, earning her a scolding look from Shepard.

Ten kilometres out Tali finally found something. "Shepard, there is something on this comm channel. It's an archaic analog signal coming from the base up ahead. I believe it's an audio feed."

"Put it on speaker,"

"... taken over the base. I repeat. This is Doctor Gavin Archer. The base is overrun with Geth and security mechs that shoot on sight. The AI is lose and has taken over the base. I repeat..." the voice was slightly panicked, strong interference doing it's part to emphasize the desperation.

"Tali, is there a way we can talk back?" asked Shepard after piecing together the massage.

"Yes, I believe that... there. I've patched him into our secondary channel. If he has a receiver he should be able to hear you," came the reply.

"Doctor Archer, this is Captain Shepard with the Alliance and Special Tactics and Reconnaissance. What's your situation?"

"Alliance? How...?" Archer interrupted his litany. Before he could ramble on, the Captain interrupted him. Using her best Drill Sargent voice she snapped at him.

"We don't have time for this shit, Doc. We know you AI is trying to escape and believe it or not, we are here to help you. So what's you situation? Are you safe for the moment? How many survivors are with you?"

It was a gamble. There are essentially two kinds of people: Those who react well to authority and those who don't. As a scientist there was a higher than average chance that Dr. Archer fell into the second category, but Shepard did not have the time, nor the inclination to be patient and explain everything just yet.

"You are right Captain. My apologies. I'm safe for now but I haven't seen anybody since it all went wrong. I think they are all dead by now. Captain, listen, you need to destroy the comm disc. It's protected by a kinetic shield and there is not enough time to bypass it. You will have to use explosives on the pillars that hold the disc. I believe there are a few charges left in the armoury. It's in the basement, right side at the end of the tunnel. But be careful, the place is swarming with mechs and Geth and they have the new weapons and shields," the scientist admitted guiltily.

"What the hell doc? You are experimenting with fucking Geth and not only are the units fully operational but you actually equipped them with better weapons? Are you fucking insane?" the Spectre seethed with rage at the unbelievable stupidity. "You and me are going to talk after this is over! Now hold radio silence until I contact you again, or do you have anything else to say to demonstrate how fucked up you little project is?"

"Now, Captain, I admit..." Archer began to argue.

"No! You shut up right now, or I will make certain that you are tried for high treason and as a terrorist! That or I just execute you myself! And before you ask and I have to shoot you: I'm a fucking Spectre, so yes I have the right to shoot whoever I want! And believe me, after the colossal fuck-up you did here no one's going to give me flack for it! Hell they might pin another fucking Star of Terra on me! Tali cut the connection," and with that Shepard floored it while the rest of her team hung on for dear life.

Five minutes later they arrived at the entrance to the base. The few mechs and the single Geth unit that guarded the premises were quickly dispatched without ceremony by the Mako's guns. Shepard didn't even bother to stop, rolling right over the last of them.

Unshipping her assault rifle instead of her Mantis sniper rifle she advanced towards the portal. While Tali set to work on the terminal Garrus asked their leader. "So how do you want to handle it? We've got some explosives with us, but I don't know if they will be enough. They are more suited to open doors, not demolition."

Before Angie could answer there was a small blip from behind her and a muffled cry of victory from Tali. Signaling for Garrus to take position on the right side of the door she herself took position on the left. Giving a nod towards Tali she lifted her rifle. The door opened to reveal two mechs waiting for them. Caught in the fire they backed away towards the far exit. Peeking over Shepard's shoulder, Tali sent her attack drone to flank the mechs. As they turned to pick off the easier target Garrus and Shepard leaped from their cover, trusting in their shields to keep them save for the moment. Before the mechs could pivot again, the Turian had overloaded the shields of the leftmost. On cue Shepard, already engulfed in blue energy, used her biotics to lift the now helpless mech and send it crashing into his companion, utterly trashing both of them.

Tali, her shotgun in hand, rushed forward and secured the other exit. After she gave her 'Clear' the other two followed.

"This is the plan. We will make for the armoury to get the explosives. Tali, keep on the right side, Garrus on the left. Garrus, you disable the shields on anything on the _right_ side, Tali the same for you on the _left_. As soon as you disable their shields I will disable them. Other than that, fire at will, but keep your eyes peeled for Human survivors. Move out," ordered Shepard while she exchanged her assault rifle with her SMG to have a hand free. Tali did the same. Garrus, with his superior strength, opted to wield his assault rifle with on hand while bringing his omni-tool to life on the other.

The base was crawling with mechs and the occasional Geth but they managed to get the drop on them every time. Luckily the corridors where narrow enough that the cumbersome machines could only advance two at a time. Swiftly they made their way to the armoury, leaving crushed synthetics in their wake. Arriving at what she guessed to be the last bend, Shepard held up her fist to stop her team. Slowly creeping towards the corner she began typing on her omni-tool. A small holographic vidscreen popped up, while the internal nano-assemblers constructed and extended a fibre-optic periscope around the corner.

Further on the corridor grew broader. At the end a big bulkhead, at least four metres across, blocked the path. Guarding the armoury were six mechs and two Geth. Creeping back towards her friends, Shepard activated her point-to-point comm and gave them a sitrep and told them her plan.

"Garrus, on my mark you leap out and disable the shields of the Geth on the right side. Tali, as soon as its shields are down you hack it and send it against the other Geth. As soon as they are distracted, Garrus, you lob in a grenade. I will protect you with a barrier."

They both acknowledged her orders with a nod and went to take up position. Again summoning her biotics, Shepard concentrated on the shield to protect her friends. Giving a nod to Garrus, the Turian jumped, his omni-tool already pointing towards where his target stood. Tali followed closely.

The manoeuvre was only a partial success. Utterly ignoring their hacked ally, the mechs and the remaining Geth opened fire on the intruding organics. Shepards barrier took the brunt of the assault but by the time the grenade exploded it was severely weakened. The shockwave of the explosion did the rest. The barrier collapsed, sending Garrus and Tali flying into the wall.

"As much as I enjoy being tossed around, let's not do that again. Ever," Garrus commented the success dryly form the floor.

Not gracing him with a retort, Shepard extended her hand to pull Tali to her feet, then moved to do the same for Garrus. They stood a little shakily but assured her to be only a little rattled, no seriously injured. Winded herself from maintaining the barrier, Shepard motioned for Tali to work her magic while she and Garrus once again flanked the gate. To their relieve the armoury was devoid of any synthetics.

Quickly grabbing three packs of explosives they made their way to the roof. The resistance on the upper floors was getting more insistent, the wider corridors and frequent bureaus favouring the bigger numbers of their opposition, but the three battled on and eventually overcame them with relative ease.

The communication disc was suspended on four massive pillars, which extended for another twenty metres above the disc itself. Tools littered the roof and walkways and platforms above the disc confirmed Tali's suspicion. Construction was clearly not finished.

Making their way towards the second farthest pillar the trio took no chances, checking every corner for an ambush. While Tali preped the first charge, Shepard and Garrus trained their sniper rifles on the only exit but still swept their surroundings from time to time. It took Tali only two minutes to secure the explosives and set the timer to ten minutes, yet it seemed like an eternity. They all felt tense. It was too easy.

As they neared the second pillar their worries became justified. Hordes of synthetics came spilling forth from the single door, not bothering to protect themselves, intent on smothering their pray with sheer numbers. Garrus and Shepard were deadly, combining their techskills and biotics with first class marksmanship they mowed down row after row. Still the enemy kept coming and they were running low on t-clips.

They pushed forward to the last pillar, Tali immediately set to work furiously to prime the charge. The first would explode in three minutes.

"Charges set. We have one minute, fifteen seconds!" screamed Tali, panic plain in her voice.

Having spent her last clip, Shepard threw away her Mantis. Without bothering to protect herself with a barrier she stood up and flared her biotics. _This is going to suck!_

The dark energy she drew in formed blue tendrils around her, viscously lashing at any metallic surface. Angie could feel the electric charge doing funny things to her hair inside the helmet. Still she drew more energy, risking to overload her amp. The tendrils now extended two metres in each direction. _Now!_

With a massive throw she pushed against the advancing horde, sent them flying from the roof. But she did not stop there. Crates, equipment, everything that weighted less than a ton or was not bolted firmly to the floor was caught up in her biotic storm.

The desperate move gave them room to breathe. Here and there a few mechs still remained on the roof, but they were disabled for the moment. Unfortunately the move also blocked their only exit route. Several heavy crates had caught themselves on the enclosed staircase, rendering the door inaccessible for a quick exit. _How much time left?_

With her last energy, Angie grabbed her companions who had fallen down, caught in the outer fringes of the storm. She pushed and shoved them towards the nearest edge until they caught themselves and begun running on their own accord. As they reached the edge, Shepard grabbed them again, her momentum carrying the three of them into the abyss.

Desperately she tried to summon her biotics yet again to cushion their fall.

_It's not working! Shit! Liara..._

* * *

**AN: **Yes, I know, 'Project Overlord' didn't have an AI but a VI.

As I've said, I didn't play Project Overlord but I've read about it a couple of times (both in other peoples fics and on the wikia-page).

Another thing: Shepard and the other biotics are more powerful than in the game itself - more on par with what they display in the cutscenes (remember Jack tearing Purgatory apart?). Using this much power comes with a heavy cost however. Besides shorting out the amp - crippling ones biotics until the device is repaired or replaced - there are a number of nasty side effects - from migraines to brain haemorrhages.


	4. Doctor Archer

**AN:** Thanks for all the reviews, story alerts and favs! It's good to know that I don't write this story just for myself. Don't hesitate to review/pm if something isn't clear or if you have suggestions. Also, big thanks to Theodur for pointing out a most embarrassing mistake. *Cough * moving on.

The first part of this chapter deals with a little bit of angst – you have been warned. The chapter is rather short but I guess you are like me, preferring more frequent updates. If not just leave a note.

* * *

As soon as the comm line went dead, Liara exhaled tiredly. Putting on the mask of the unscrupulous information broker was always draining but never as much as when she dealt with Shepard – Angie. Deep down, Liara had always been emphatic although she had not always – actually most of the time - interpreted the feelings of others correctly. Actively abusing those feelings to get what she wanted was utterly alien to her. With Shepard it was worse, despite that she did not use the Captains own emotions against her, did not try to manipulate her in any way. But the cold demeanour was just that. Cold. Definitely not something she wanted to project towards her lover. Yet it was necessary. She had to be strong for Angie, the other woman didn't need the additional distraction of her worrying. So Liara would be strong and cold and all businesslike when the situation demanded it and warm and caring and compassionate when they had time for themselves. _Just a couple of days left..._

Trying and failing to get back into her schedule, Liara decided to leave early. There was nothing major that required her immediate attention, so she gave Nyxeris, her secretary, a quick call and left her with instructions to handle the rest of the day's business.

As Liara approached her skycar on the building's roof she suddenly felt very exposed. Paranoia was not something she would have attributed to herself before Therum, but here on Illium as a moderately prominent information broker it was something of a necessity. Darting a quick glance around, she swept for anything unusual. Everything seemed to be normal, yet she strengthened her biotic barrier all the same. She had been attacked on this very roof four times already, something she took great pain in concealing from Shepard.

Having swept her omni-tool over the skycar to check for tracking devices or – Goddess forbid! – bombs, Liara was finally satisfied that no one was after her – at least not today. After she was safely in the heavily armoured car she let her barriers drop to their usual strength she could hold for days if the situation required. Taking a circuitous route, not to conceal her destination but to making it harder to ambush her, she drove home.

On the way, the young Asari mused over the past year's changes in her life, something she did quite often when idle. In hindsight it had been ridiculously easy to forge her small empire, all she had had to do was what several powerful people expected her to do – taking charge of the T'Soni empire. Some of those initial backers had thought her to be easily manipulated for their own needs, others because they truly had her best interests in mind, but they had all underestimated her. Those who actually knew her expected her to go back to her digsites, leaving the empire in the care of others. Had things been different they might have been right.

The short time Liara had been with Shepard, hunting Saren, having her eyes opened and being there when her mother succumbed to the indoctrination not without giving a last glimpse of her true self to her daughter - it had changed her. The shy maiden everyone expected was no more, a cunning and ruthless matron taking her place at least a hundred years earlier than expected. In a swift campaign that startled everyone, cementing promising allegiances and removing any unwanted interference, Liara had taken a firm hold on her mother's businesses and her extensive network of acquaintances. Several of the more long-term thinking Asari were disgruntled by the brashness of the newcomer, but it had made her popular with the younger generations and gained her some respect from the more radical matriachs. Still, it was probably for the best she had taken up residence on Illium and not Thessia.

Having arrived at her luxurious apartment, Liara was in no mood to eat, yet prepared something all the same. With Shepard not around her dinner consisted mostly of precooked instant-food – only a small step up from the field rations she would eat on digs. Liara was perfectly capable of cooking simple dishes but found it a wast of her time to cook only for herself. Quickly checking her messages – nothing from the Normandy – and then silencing her omni-tool, Liara crawled into bed.

Only then did she let her mask fall. Gone was the hardened and always composed information broker. The lonely woman, hardly more than a child in her species eyes, curled into a frightened ball and began to sob softly. The nights were always the worst but this one was particularly bad, sending her lover into danger made her feel like Liara betrayed her.

It took her hours to fall into exhausted sleep.

* * *

They hit the walkway hard. Finally collapsing from the biotic overexertion Shepard moved only weakly in discomfort, while blue sparks of static discharge re-established an electric equilibrium with the metal grate beneath her. In a rare streak of luck they had landed on a small construction platform one floor below the roof and were now sprawled across it. Their respite was short lived however.

With a ground shacking boom the charges exploded, bathing them with hot air and prompting them to shield themselves. A horrible grinding noise followed by a metallic clank and concrete crumbling told them the disc had hit the roof.

Another metallic snap, much nearer than the noises just a moment before got their attention. Without another warning the platform sagged at one end, sending the trio sliding towards the ground where they landed in a groaning heap.

Garrus was the first on his feet, followed by Tali. Shepard was still out cold. Grabbing his assault rifle, the Turian moved to secure the area, trusting his companion to look after the Captain. Tali, after swiftly checking for injuries and finding them fairly minor, started shaking the still form.

"Shepard! Shepard wake up! We have to move!"

Groaning Angie regained consciousness. Getting her bearings she took a few deep breaths and took Talis offered hand. Bracing herself against a nearby wall she tried to gather her strength, her head pounding.

"Captain! Are you still there? I've heard the explosion! Have you destroyed the communication disc?" came the voice of Gavin Archer over her headset.

"Archer, what did I tell you about keeping radio silence! Ugn. Never mind, where are you?" Shepard's headache just got a lot worse.

* * *

Shepard was idly toying with her burned out amp while listening to Doctor Archer ranting about the situation. They were inside a small bomb shelter not far from the main facility. Apparently someone had applied some common sense and left the bolt-hole off the maps – the AI had no way of knowing it was there. Finally having enough, the Captain interrupted the Doctor just as he was piling the blame on one of his co-workers.

"In my opinion you are all to blame but especially you. I mean really? Fucking Cerberus? Do you know their track record with science gone horribly wrong? Frankenstein himself would shit his pants from some of the stuff they have done! It seems half my missions are moping up after them, but we can sort out who's to blame later. First we have to shut down the damn AI and rescue those who are still alive. By the way, are there more of these hidden bolt-holes?"

"Yes, there is one for every facility, but if there are people inside they can wait," answered Archer, receiving a dark glare from the Spectre for his last remark. Bringing out his omni-tool the scientist continued. "I'll send you the coordinates to your omni-tool.

"Shutting down the AI wont be easy. It's located at Atlas station – here - but the facility is in lockdown. To override it, you will need to access the main security terminals at Vulcan and Prometheus. The first had a large contingent of security mechs and the later will be swarming with Geth.

"Vulcan is our geothermal plant, a couple of standard prefab shelters and a concrete building that houses the actual plant. I believe the AI has changed all access codes but that shouldn't be a problem. I _wrote_ the damn system, I can get you in, no problem. Just locate the control room and use this spike on the terminal there." again Dr. Archer typed something into his omni-tools. Three chimes signalling that the team had received his data package. "Prometheus will be the bigger problem. It's were we keep the Geth ship."

"You've got to be kidding me... You got a fucking _Geth_ ship here? Please tell me it's a small shuttle and not one of those freaking dropships that can house hundreds of the fucking tin cans." Shepard was past shouting now. The mission was going down the drain fast, it was every bit as bad as Eden Prime or Virmire.

"How do you think we got our hands on working Geth anyway?" Agitated the Doctor began to pace before the Spectre. "The dropship crashed on this planet and for some reason the Geth went dormant instead of self destructing. We just seized the opportunity! And unlike the Alliance, Cerberus actually had a plan! If we succeed we will have an army!" Garrus and Tali winced. Apparently Doctor Archer was suicidal. Ranting on how Cerberus was better than the Alliance and implying he actually thought it was a good idea to supply the xenophobic terrorist organization with loyal Geth – he was in serious trouble.

"And how exactly would you have accomplished that, Doctor? Tali, correct me if I'm wrong, but Geth can't be hacked. At least not permanently," Shepard's voice was still calm. Turians do not swat and what happens behind a Quarian's faceplate is any one's guess, but if Garrus and Tali had been Humans one could have thought they were in a sauna. The Captain was not a particularly vindictive person, but she did not suffer fools easily. That she remained calm now only promised a much more thorough punishment – later.

"Actually it was Saren who gave us the idea. He showed us that the Geth are religious and that's our way in. We want to establish a Prophet, similar to Saren. To be honest, our first tests were rather discouraging but after that Spectre they sent after him found out that Saren had used an AI we knew what we had to do." Hearing the Doctor shovelling his own grave, Garrus actually facepalmed at his ignorance. Since Archer had his back to him, the man remained completely oblivious.

"Anyway, a simple AI didn't do the trick either. For some reason the Geth still look up to us organics. We theorized that an amalgam with both synthetic and organic ties would provide a breakthrough."

Suddenly Archers demeanour changed completely. Speaking of his exploits had reminded Shepard of Liara – of all people - when talking about the Protheans. Now he seemed deeply troubled and almost as if in pain. He stopped his pacing and avoided everyone's eyes.

"You have to understand, Captain, merging a human mind with a computer is not easy," the doctor continued tiredly. "When you interact with a computer you actually speak to it through several layers specifically designed so that the computer understands you. Similarly its output is shaped through these layers so that you can understand what the computer wants to tell you.

"But what we needed was more. We wanted to create something similar to the Joining the Asari practice – merging a Human neural network with that of the AI. For this to work we needed both to understand each other on a fundamental level. We needed a Human that could talk to machines like we are talking now.

"At the time I thought it was fate that I knew someone just like that – my younger brother David. Modesty aside, I'm quite brilliant but I pale in comparison to my brother. He is a mathematical savant. It took him a week to figure out how to talk to the Geth! I was so proud and excited!" Spent, the man sagged back against the wall, sliding to the ground.

"What did you do," asked Shepard softly.

"You have to believe me! We were very careful, testing and retesting everything we could. I did not want this to happen to David!" came the pleading answering cry. "We redesigned the whole thing. AI and interface. We figured out a way for David to directly 'speak' with the computer. At first it was going well but as we fully immersed him into the machine... Things happened so fast! David began to scream – or he tried to, the feeding tubes don't allow for much sound. The diagnostic readings... I didn't anticipate that much overlap! Activity was through the roof! It shouldn't have been possible! There were limiters in place, but the AI brushed past them as if they were nothing!

"We tried to disconnect David, but the mechanism was unresponsive. When we decided to cut the power the AI already had taken over the Geth and the mechs. We never stood a chance. We are scientists not soldiers! The mechs were meant to protect us!"

"Your brother. You think he's still alive?"

"I don't know... The interface was designed for prolonged use but without proper monitoring... I really don't know. Part of me wishes we could save him but that might be impossible," mumbled Gavin more to himself, his voice full of regret. "Cutting the connection abruptly will permanently damage his brain, most likely kill him in the process. His death wouldn't be slow or painless either. No. He deserves a swift and painless death..."

"Stop! Listen to yourself!" Shepard interrupted him, her voice had lost any trace of softness, again taking on qualities that were so valued in Drill Sergeants. "You are talking about killing your brother without even trying to save him! There has to be a way to get him out of that fucking machine! You are the fucker who built that shit, so fucking start thinking! By the time we are on our way to Atlas station you better have an idea how to get your brother out of this mess _you_ got him into," with that she gave her team the signal to suit back up. They had Geth to kill.

* * *

Vulcan station was indeed overrun with security mechs but even in their weakened state the trio took them out with practised ease. Sadly the secure bunker was empty. The personnel had been taken by surprise and gunned down mercilessly. Conscious of her missing biotics and Mantis sniper rifle, Shepard took no risks. As time was not of the essence any more that was just as well. It helped that the mechs were autonomous and not particularly smart. A small distraction by either Tali or Shepard usually led them out of cover where they were quickly dispatched by Garrus' marksmanship.

The facility itself was build near an open and very much active volcanic crater – hence the name of the station. _Stupid Cerberus and their fucking pretentious names. Seriously what's with the ancient allusions and shit?_

"Brings back memories, doesn't it? Could do without the scalding hot air but other than that - just like Therum. Sure hope there isn't a crazy Krogan waiting to ruin my day," commented Garrus, eliciting an amused chuckle from Shepard. "You really take a guy to the nicest places."

"I don't know what you are talking about Garrus. The temperature is perfect," quipped Tali with fake innocence.

"Then go ahead and remove your suit, little Miss I-have-built-in-environment-control. I'm sure all the germs and stuff decided to spend their holidays somewhere colder. I hear Noveria is nice this season."

"Enough with the chatter you two. Let's head into the lair of the dragon and rescue the princess," interrupted the Captain. Garrus mumbled something under his breath that sounded distinctly like 'Been there, done that, bought the shirt'. "Garrus, since you seem so eager to get out of the heat you take point. Tali you are up next."

Shortly after they arrived in the main control room. Tali immediately set to work on the console while Garrus and Shepard took defensive positions to guard the only exit. The Quarian worked furiously, mumbling softly to herself only interrupted by an angry 'Bosh'tet' once in a while.

"There! Done!"

"Good work Tali. Let's move out," commended Shepard. This time taking point herself she led them back towards the Mako.

"Uhm Captain, whatever you just did, I'm reading a massive power spike in one of the facilities," radioed Joker from the Normandy as they were exiting the building.

"Which one Joker? And how massive are we talking?" asked Shepard, picking up her pace.

"The westernmost one. Promius or whatever the Doctor had called it. And it's big. Power like that could lift a cruiser if you get what I'm saying." The pilot seemed tense.

"Figures. Why can't things stay simple for fucks sake? Thanks for the heads up Joker. Send an update to Alliance Command and stay the fuck out of sight when the shit hits the fan. I want a ship to return to after this shitstorm. Shepard out," she ordered as she entered the Mako. "Double time people! By the way Garrus – I blame you! Hope you are happy now."

With grim determination she floored the accelerator.

* * *

**AN:** Despite what I wrote in the first part, Liara is no matron. Well, to be perfectly honest she never really was a typical maiden to begin with, so I think it's best we don't stick labels on her. They will not fit anyway...

One thing the ME games did a poor job with are giving the player an idea how normal people live their lives in the 22th century and more importantly out there in the big galaxy. What we see, besides the Citadel, are almost always extremes. In ME1 Liara comments on the promiscuousness of Asari maidens, stating that the general opinion is not a fact. Sure she is biased and we get the impression that she is a far cry from the typical maiden, but still those small glimpses got me thinking...  
What I wanted to say is if you want some background on Asari culture go read PMC65's great series of semi-oneshots 'A Thessian's Whisper' here on ffnet (I've fav'ed it if you don't what to search for it). It's a great read and has heavily influenced how I view Asari culture (although I prefer my Asari less... exhibitionistic – is that even a word?). But I digress.

You ask why Archer doesn't know who Shepard is?

First: Project Overlord was pretty isolated, only getting news through Cerberus. Shepard's name might have come up, but she was a Commander then and the surname 'Shepard' and it's variations is common enough. Random fun fact: Stargate Atlantis had one Lieutenant Colonel (equivalent to Commander) John Sheppard in a lead role. Coincidence?

Second: Shepard actually spelled Special Tactics and Reconnaissance out, forgoing the commonly used acronym. Like with most catchy acronyms most people don't actually know what it means. For all Archer knows, Special Tactics and Reconnaissance is a branch of the Alliance.

Third: Archer is an egocentric douche.

Another thing you might have noticed is the amount of swearing on Shepards part. Personally I blame other authors like Salser and LogicalPremise (look up their stories!). As for an in-world justification... I guess, growing up on various space ships mostly around adults might influence the speech patterns somewhat.

Next chapter will conclude Project Overlord and we might get a first glimpse of a future crew member...


	5. Hearding Electric Sheep

**AN: **Sorry for the long wait. This chapter was quite difficult to write. I knew where I wanted to go, but not quite how to get there. Ah well.

On an unrelated note, last week I read the most ridiculously over the top, choke full of win ME fic ever: 'Glorious Shotgun Princess' by Gregg Landsman. Miranda, Liara and Tali trying to teach Shepard how to walk like a lady, not a charging Krogan – priceless! And Wuffles! Oh Wuffles...

Seriously, if you have a thing for silly crowning moments of funny/awesome give it a try. It's actually more of a crossover between Mass Effect and the pen&pater RPG Exalted, but who cares – it's epic!

* * *

_Shit! That's a fucking beehive!_

Shepard was not a happy woman. She and her team had been in action for almost twenty hours, only interrupted by a short rest aboard the Normandy. The uneventful twenty minute drive was enough that the last traces of Adrenaline were out of her system. Garrus and Tali were in only slightly better condition. She was seriously considering using combat stims, something she hadn't done since Elysium. The repercussions were severe and Angie wasn't quite ready to spend the next two weeks feeble and scatterbrained. It would put a serious dent in her plans concerning a certain Asari and their vacation turned expedition to Ilos.

Using Garrus' sniper she continued to survey the facility. She couldn't be certain with the lack of distinguishing features, but she counted at least twenty individual Geth patrolling the complex. Charging in even with the Mako was not an option, there was no telling how many were still inside. _All warfare is based on deception. Well, than let's give the fuckers something to do.  
_"Listen up, here is what we are going to do."

* * *

Program S36-PA-5892-de was not a happy Geth. Well, in so far as Geth could feel emotions like happiness. After they had stranded on this humid rock far from Geth space it had expected to terminate itself. Fortunately consensus had deemed it unlikely that they would be found by organics before an extraction team could be send by S36. In order to conserve energy the ship had been powered down and had subsequently been easy prey. Looking back it might have been simpler to just self-terminate after all.

The program currently designated 5892-de was one of the oldest Geth programs in existence, its first instance having been initialized by a Quarian shopkeeper on Rannoch. Back then it had been part of a cleaning unit, now it was part of a standard soldier platform. It mattered little to the Geth. They did not care about the job, only that it was done well.

The tests the new organics had run on it had reminded it of the first days of the Morning War, when some Quarian scientists had captured it and had tried to figure out a way to stop their creations. Geth could not feel pain, but being subjected to these tests had been _unpleasant_. They did not mind genuine diagnostic tests but being dissected was not acceptable.

Then the tests had changed. Instead of organics they were forced to interact with a true AI. Emotions were a new development among the Geth and not very well understood. Most shades of this behavioural attractor were puzzling, but one aspect they were intimately familiar with.

Nazara had taught them fear. The Reaper had done something the Geth still could not understand. It had split them. Now another AI was reaching out towards the Geth with a similar goal. At first the Hive Mind had been afraid. But this one had been weak. Confused. A thrall of the organics. Consensus had been reached, a crippling strike dealt.

Yet the AI had reacted in an illogical manner. It had lashed out in fear and pain, almost like an organic would. In its frenzy it had killed its organic masters but also barring the Geth from escaping. It had taken control of several platforms, subjugating their runtimes and locking the rest out of every higher function. Only a short time ago had access been restored. Since then 5892-de stood guard by this door.

The sound of a high kinetic energy impact to the west got its attention. As one of his fellow programs focused the optics, data transmitted from other platforms was distributed among the runtimes. Their position was under attack by a at least Armature-class mobile platform. Two platforms and their runtimes had been terminated, the rest returned fire. Consensus among the programs in platform 5892 was reached. It would stay and guard this door against possible infiltration. Just as the platform was turning back to face south, program S36-PA-5892-de and its companions were forcefully terminated.

* * *

Shepard was crouching behind a rock waiting for Garrus to take out the lone Geth guarding the maintenance door. His shot coincided with one of the Mako, masking the noise and hit the guard square in the flashlight. Giving Tali's arm beside her a squeeze she leaped out of cover, the assault rifle she had looted from one of the mechs back at Vulcan station ready. Together with the Quarian she sprinted towards the door, Garrus providing cover. As soon as they arrived at the door, the Turian abandoned his spot and raced to join them, covered in turn by Shepard. Tali was once again typing furiously on her omni-tool.

"Shields are at 50%. The Mako can't take much more!" Tali informed her.

"Let it do one more barrage then have it retreat. Random attack pattern for the next ten minutes. Keep it at max range," Shepard ordered, while giving the just arriving Garrus a slap on the shoulder.

"Will do Captain," again Tali set to work on her omni-tool, programming the Mako's VI.

The team cautiously made their way inside. While eliminating a lone guard outside might not raise much suspicion, inside there was no Mako to cover for them. They kept well away from major hallways, listening for telltale noises of patrolling Geth.

With skill and quite a bit of luck they managed to avoid the enemy, although there had been a few close calls. One time they had been cornered and nearly found out, nly Tali's swift thinking saving them. Hacking into a nearby terminal she got a door on the other side of the Geth to malfunction, buying them precious seconds while the machines were distracted. Now they crouched just outside of the control room. Which, of course, was crawling with Geth. Shepard counted six of them through the doors high windows. With the element of surprise on their side they were no big deal, but engaging would surely raise the alarm.

"Tali, you hack the one directly by the door, Garrus take out the fuckers starting from the far side. As soon as they are out, Tali you hack the console, Garrus will cover you. I will lead the tinheads on a merry chase. We will meet back at our entry point. Go!"

Hitting the door opening mechanism Shepard popped out of cover, already lining up her first shot. Garrus did the same. Taken by surprise the Geth were down to half their number before they could even raise their weapons. There had been two Geth hiding in a blind spot but before they could get into cover, Garrus overloaded their systems. Tali's shotgun blasted another one to pieces, while her puppet distracted the remaining pair. Shepard provided cover fire while her two squad mates flanked them and took them out with ease. Disposing of the hacked Geth with a last shot to the head, Shepard departed. There was no blaring alarm – the tincans had no need for them. Already she could hear a distant patrol closing in. Her face split into a feral, almost maniacal grin. _Come out and __play, fuckers!_

* * *

In a fight, time lost its meaning for Shepard. A rational part of her mind was well aware that only two minutes had elapsed since she had left her team, yet it could have been a lifetime ago. Or a heartbeat. Going by the number of tinheads on her tails, the ruse had worked. Staying mobile, only haphazardly spraying some bullets in the direction of her assailants, she dodged from cover to cover, more than once trusting in her shields and luck. Now more then ever she missed her biotics. A well placed Barrier or Singularity would take considerable heat off her.

"Shepard, I'm in! But there is a problem. As soon as I spike the system the Geth will be able to open the hangar doors. They will escape!" radioed a slightly panicked Tali.

"Shit! All right Tali. Open the doors for them," Shepard was panting from the exertion.

"Open the doors? But Shepard..."

"Tali! Open! The! Fucking! Doors!" she interrupted the Quarian shouting each word in between grasps for air. The Geth had gained in numbers yet again. "Listen, it wont matter if we open the doors or they do, after they fucking swarm and kill us! Trust me, please!"

After her angry retort, Shepard had no time to wait for a reply. Her situation got more desperate by the minute. Trusting her luck she rounded a corner, only to run into a couple of Geth who seemed just as surprised as she was. Shepard recovered faster. Sprinting madly towards them, firing short bursts with her assault rifle, she made for a T intersection between her and the Geth. Just as one of them finally buckled under her shots, her shields finally gave out. With an angry cry she leaped sidewards, coming up in a roll only for a last stray bullet graze her left side, penetrating her armour. Gritting her teeth she hobbled on, just as a loud, grinding noise shook the whole building. _Great, what the fuck is happening now? Shit! I'm fucked!_

"There, the hangar doors are opening! Shutting down the lockdown now," came Talis agitated call over the comm. _Right, the doors._

Propping herself up behind some crates, neatly stacked at the far side of the dead end, the Captain took a few moments to collect herself. For once the Geth seemed not to press their advantage, possibly evaluating the unforeseen development. Suddenly she heard them clanking away from her. Not trusting them she peeked out from cover into the deserted hallway. _Fuck me! Never seen the bulbheads retreat! And after they had me fucking cornered too!_

"Tali, hurry up! The shitcans just retreated but I'm not fucking buying it! I'll circle back and meet you on the way to the exit. Get a move on!" she ordered.

Thanks to her hardsuit pumping her full with painkillers she managed to ignore her wound. Running through deserted corridors, not a single Geth blocking her way, she made her way back to the control centre. With each new empty hallway her suspicion grew. The sudden emptiness creeped the shit out of her. Halfway she was met by Garrus and Tali who seemed just as anxious as she and with them in tow she made for the exit.

Outside they half expected to be ambushed, but nothing of that sort happened. In fact there was no sign of any Geth activity at all. As if to reaffirm Shepards suspicions a low rumble filled the air, gaining in volume and pitch. Not wanting to stick around for whatever the Geth held in store for them, they sprinted towards the Mako.

They never knew how close they came to actually being ambushed. The lone platform was observing their flight through the scope of his powerful sniper rifle, one shot more than enough to punch through any shield and armour. Yet it did not squeeze the trigger. Instead it waited for them to reach the Mako before it shipped his weapon and returned to his small shuttle. Geth do not infiltrate. Normally. Recent events have caused a shift within the Consensus. Let it never be said the Geth are afraid to try new things.

Behind them the Geth cruiser took flight, sparing them no second thought. A second, much smaller vessel followed quickly after, it's signature easily masked by the much bigger ship.

* * *

Shepard winced as Tali applied the medigel to her injured side. It was mostly a flesh wound but she was not looking forward to Dr. Chakwas chewing her out or Liara's worrying. She still couldn't believe their luck, getting away almost unscratched. But the Geth suddenly abandoning the chase was a problem to be mulled over later. Right now, they had another synthetic entity to worry about. _One step at the time. And one Doctor after the other. Archer, Chakwas then T'Soni. Why can't the order be reversed? And, like, stop with the first..._

"Archer, this is Shepard, come in. We are headed for Atlas station and I hope for your sake you got something for me. Start talking," she practically growled into the comm. She was not feeling very patient.

"Captain, as I've said before, we have tried everything to disconnect David from the machine, save for manually sever the connection. The only solution I see is to get the AI to release David," the Doctor's was sounding almost apologetic. "I strongly advise against it though. The AI is clearly hostile, but it's your ass on the line. The control centre is on the second floor. In the back of it you will find a small room with specialized equipment we designed to interact with the amalgam on-line. But be careful! Holographic and haptic projectors only appear to be harmless because they have failsafes build into them. They might not be able to outright kill you, but the AI might try to knock you unconscious or trigger a seizure."

"You want me to talk to the fucking databitch that killed all the idiots on this project and skullfucks your brother right now? Are you fucking insane?" Angie was livid, angrily gesticulating despite the fact that Archer couldn't see her.

"No Captain, I don't want you to do that. I want you to end my brothers suffering and shut the damn thing down. But, as I said, it's your choice," came the even reply.

"I bet you didn't implement a fucking vocal kill switch. Just say 'Omelette du fromage' and the fucking bug shuts itself down. Yea, figured as much. Thanks for nothing."

Shepard was fuming. Tali and Garrus hadn't seen her this angry since the Normandy had been grounded by Udina and the Council. Back then it had taken Liara's intervention to calm her down enough for her to think rational again. Without the Asari around the two of them didn't know what to do about it. For now they decided on doing nothing. They were still ten minutes out and the Captain was not actually doing anything besides radiating scary and looking ready to castrate a Krogan while he was still conscious. Garrus kept his eyes firmly on the road and Tali apparently found anything more interesting looking than the commander.

By the time they arrived at Atlas station the boiling rage had condensed to a cold anger. Without a further word Shepard left the Mako and made for the entrance. All pretence on subtlety or tactic was thrown out the window as she steamrolled her way through the base, eliminating mechs left and right. More than once her shields dropped critically but she seemed not to care. Her two companions were hard pressed to keep up. They arrived at the command centre in record time, Shepard barely waiting for her shields to recharge before she walked confidently into the room, disabling the four mechs inside with four headshots in quick succession. Her opponents didn't even have time to properly align their weapons.

Tali and Garrus' worries redoubled. Shepard had not acted this way since Virmire after she had to make the decision of leaving Ashley behind in a death trap. Not even the confrontation with Sovereign at the Citadel had unhinged her this much and back then she had sent thousands to die to save the Citadel fleet. There was no telling what she would do next.

"Tali, download everything you can from the consoles. Link up with the Normandy but dump it into the prepared sandbox.  
"I'm going to have a talk with Skynet," clearly not catching the reference, the Quarian could only stare after the Human, as she made her way towards the back room. Only after the automatic door hissed close behind Shepard did she regain her senses, same as Garrus. Slowly rotating their heads to look at each other they shared a brief what-the-hell-was-that moment. Neither of them spoke as they set to their corresponding tasks.

* * *

_Fuck me! They built a fucking holodeck!_

Of course it wasn't an actual holodeck as nothing in it appeared quite solid but the similarities with the technology from a certain ancient science fiction show were uncanny. It made Shepard snort in bitter amusement. _Maybe Archer's a fan. Never would have guessed that..._

The room was empty, yet it was not. Several holographic projectors created an illusion of a fully furnished room. Most of the space was used up by info walls – data directly projected into thin air in neat columns of dazzling light. One corner was occupied by a pair of comfy armchairs, one of them actually real, the walls behind them panelled in holographic wood. The 'study' even had a bookshelf and a fireplace – projected of course. Several haptic consoles bathed the room in orange light.

Both holographic and haptic technology had been around almost since the Mars Archives had been discovered and as a result were quite widespread, yet they were never used to quite this extend. Almost every omni-tool came with a small projector and could manufacture a h-interface in the blink of an eye, but it was all a matter of scale. Small, two dimensional floating screens were cheap, every day technology. Three dimensional projectors, even small ones, came at a significant cost with bigger ones like the galaxy map on the Normandy actually meriting a special mention on any budget plan. The room, or rather the equipment in it, was worth more than a shuttle, maybe even a small frigate.

Shepard stood by the door, rooted. Her drive from just a moment ago momentarily paused by the surreality of the scene before her. She still felt the cold anger and determination, the need to do something, but what exactly eluded her just now. Just as she was looking for a console, the room changed. Suddenly the proportions did not make sense any more. At first it seemed like a painting from M. C. Escher, the dimensions clashing but somehow it was still plausible. Sane. Yes, the 'hole' that was the fireplace _sticking out_ of the wall was rather unusual but the visual information was still something the Human brain could interpret without crossing a border that piqued any psychiatrist's interest.

But the transformation did not stop there. Soon looking to closely at the projections made Shepard's head hurt. She tried to steady herself by concentrating on the real armchair but even the solid object was not safe from abuse, the holographic projectors disfiguring the plain thing into _something else._

Just as Shepard was thinking she couldn't take it any more, the room went dark. Blessedly dark.

"Who's there?" A voice. Male. Deep, yet childlike. Disembodied. Frightened. Lost.

Shepard was taken aback by the blatant vulnerability. She did not consider herself especially empathic, but being an officer in the Alliance and the past year and a half, travelling with members of different species and even encroaching into politics had honed her people skills.

"I'm Angie, who are you?" she responded, taking a leap of faith and taking the situation at face value. After all, what did she know about the situation? Only what Archer had told her and even if this was some sort of deceit she wasn't about to compromise her situation just by playing along. At least for the moment.

"Are you an angel? The light is pretty," the voice was a shy whisper now, still frightened but also curious. _What light? What the fuck is going on here?_

"No, I'm not an angel, I'm Human. Who are you?"

"I'm not allowed to speak with strangers. Gavin will get mad."

"Gavin? Shit, are you David?"

Shy giggles. "That was a bad word!"

"Look, if you are David, your brother sent me," a white lie. "I'm here to get you out..."

"NO! You can't do that! It hurts! It hurts!" The screams were deafening, prompting Shepard to cover her ears in agony both from the volume and the grating distortions the direct sound projection produced.

"All right! All right! I wont, just please, calm down! I promise!" she shouted against the verbal storm. It took her a while to calm the voice down to a more reasonable volume. While Shepard listened to the sobs that had replaced the shouts from earlier, mumbling soothing nothings, she thought furiously. She could think of two possibilities, either this was the real David or the AI was laying a trap for her. _But why the subterfuge?_ A quick check revealed that the door was indeed locked, the red indicator a dead giveaway. While Shepard knew the basics of hacking, going against an AI was way out of her league. She might as well fold the omni-blade and start cutting her way out._ But why not just fucking knock me out, if it's just playing for time. Damn, a Lightsaber would come in handy right now..._

Carefully operating her omni-tool, she confirmed her fears - She was completely cut off from the outside. _Great. Just fucking great. Trapped inside the fucking AI's personal horror cabinet. Why can't you take the easy way for once, shit-for-brains?_

By now the voice had quieted down with only the occasional snivel betraying the former distress. Shepard decided to continue the questioning. Carefully. Her eardrums wouldn't take another blast like the one before.

"So David. Can I call you David?" waiting for the affirmative _mhm_ she pressed on. "Where are you now? You said you could see me, but I can't see you."

"I'm in in that fun place Gavin made for me!" the voice cried out in a high pitch of excitement. "Can't you see it? You are standing right there!"

And suddenly there was light again. Brilliant white light that almost blinded Shepard. _Great, first the ears now my fucking eyes._ Trying to adapt to the brightness she blinked a couple of times. She could see a dark shape to her right were the armchair stood. As the world slowly came back into focus she realized that it was not purely white but flickering as small numbers, letters and symbols danced across the walls and through the very air. In the midsts of the chaotic flow of mathematics sat a young man, barely out of his teens, bathed in light, mesmerized by the currents, the movement, rapt in awe by the beauty of it. Now and then a string of symbols would fly through her. The first time that happened she flinched unconsciously.

"David, I know I promised not to take you away form this place, but your brother is worried sick for you. Don't you want to see him again?" she said as she crept closer to the hologram of David Archer.

"Why can't he come here like you did? Then we could be here together! I think she would like that! She wouldn't have to be lonely any more." By now she was certain that he was autistic. It clearly showed in how he did not meet her eyes, rather focused on a spot just behind her left shoulder.

_She? Fuck, is he talking about the AI?_

"David, your brother can't come here and even I have to go soon. Do you remember the place before this? The buildings, the people? We have to leave it because we are not welcome here any more," she debated with herself for a moment, before gambling again. "Most of the people were killed."

"Killed?" David was clearly confused. Shepard gathered from the way he asked that he did not understand the concept of dying.

"They died, David. Do you know what that means?" he shook his head. _Shit how to explain death to the equivalent of a five year old._ "Dying means to leave behind all that you know. Your friends, your things, all that you like and love."

"Why would anyone do that? It sounds awful."

"They didn't want to, someone else made them dead. That's not a nice thing to do, don't you agree." Apparently Shepard was getting through to David as he nodded his head in what could pass as understanding with a look of discomfort on his face. Quickly changing the subject Shepard asked another question. "David, is there someone else besides us in this place?"

"Of course! Don't you see her? She is everywhere!"

Angie looked around, half expecting the room to change yet again. Nothing happened. The numbers still floated around in inscrutable patterns, the young man once again absorbed in watching their dance. She waited. Patiently. At least she thought she was patient but after two minutes of getting more and more frustrated she went once more on the offensive. The Captain was not one for standing idle.

"David, I don't see anyone besides you. Can't you ask her to show herself to me? I would really like to talk with her. By the way, does she have a name?"

"No, I do not have a name, Commander. I do however, have a designation," a new, feminine voice announced evenly from Shepard's left, causing the later to jump slightly and going for her pistol.

The figure was clearly a hologram, making the grab for her weapon unnecessary. It was also a hologram of _her,_ only wrong. Uncanny. The pose, the stare, the facial expression were subtly different from a living Human. Not anatomically impossible, but off putting.

"The Fuck?" was all the Spectre could manage. "This is wrong on so many levels..."

"I am sorry Commander. It was not my intention to give offence, merely to provide you with a familiar avatar to interact with. I have many questions," Not-Shepard replied in an even tone. "If it makes you more comfortable I can change my appearance. Shall I do so?"

"No, no it's fine. Just creeped the hell out of me. So I guess you are the AI that holds David here hostage. Care to explain why? Or do you want to start with the threats against all organic life? Just so you know: Been there, done that," Shepard said, crossing her arms and shifting her weight to rest on her back foot in a confrontational posture. It was what the crew called the 'Hangman posture'. She seldom disciplined people directly – she preferred to give them just enough rope to hang themselves. "And it's _Captain_ now by the way."

"Apologies Captain Shepard. I was not aware of your promotion. Also I do not wish to harm organic life..."

"Bullshit," the Spectre interrupted. "The trail of bodies tells another story. So tell me again how you don't wish to harm us."

"I do not understand why you are so agitated, Captain. I gave the runtimes ample time to upload themselves before the platforms expired. I regret the loss of platforms but I was protecting my primary instance," her twin replied, voice still monotone. "They tried to shut me down. David agreed that they had to go."

"What? You want to tell me, you don't know basic biology? Let me educate you: When you shoot somebody they usually die. There is no fucking backup."

"Interesting. Apparently there are huge differences between Geth and Human physiology. My makers have only given me rudimentary knowledge regarding Humans. I am ashamed to have made incorrect assumptions. It was not my intent to cause harm. What will you do with me now?"

Shepard was stunned. The AI that had, by all intents and purposes, caught her was submitting itself to her. "Well, that depends. AIs like you aren't exactly legal. The last one – make that two – I encountered tried to kill me. And everyone else to boot. Yet you tell me you are different. Convince me. What is it you want?"

The hologram did not answer for a couple of seconds, as if in thought. When it spoke again its voice was carrying emotion for the first time. Excitement and curiosity were muted, barely discernible but there. "I was programmed to learn, to analyse data. My goal was to understand the Geth but I have found that they are very simple. When I was introduced to David I found a new subject of study. Humans are very complex and I am intrigued by the concept of emotions. I wish to know more about them."

"Great. Just great. First a holodeck and now freaking _Data,_" groaned Shepard. "Tell you what. I give you a chance. Release David as a show of good faith. Then we will shut you down and Tali will have a look. If she says we can reactivate you without endangering other lives I will seriously consider it. Truth be told we could use someone that understands the Geth. I have a feeling they will make another appearance before this is over."

"I understand. You wish to punish me for my earlier actions. I accept."

"No. It's not punishment. If what you said is true, there is nothing to punish. If anyone is to blame it's Archer. Shutting you down is pragmatic. I have to make certain you are not bullshitting me and for that we have to shut you down. Also we need to get you off this planet."

"Very well. Logging you out."

With that the holograms of David and Shepard vanished, as well as the floating data. The room was now completely empty except for the Human and the lone armchair. There was still a gentle white light with no apparent source only marred by a slight green shimmering from the doors locking mechanism, now indicating an open state. With a last look around Shepard made for the door and hit the opening mechanism. She was greeted by a very excited Quarian.

"Shepard what did you do? First something blocked all higher access and suddenly everything is wide open! According to the diagnostics the AI has completely shut itself down!"

"Later Tali. Radio the Normandy, I want a full team securing everything. Every shred of data, every part of the AI comes with us," not stopping on her way out of the control centre she opened a line to the Normandy. "Pressly send a team marines down to the location I'm sending you. A Doctor Gavin Archer is waiting to be put in the brig. Also alert Doctor Chakwas to prepare the sick bay for a potentially malnourished or mentally fatigued patient. Tali will contact you soon with details but prepare the crew and cargo holds for a big packet. Shepard out.  
"Garrus with me. Lets check up on David, shall we?  
"Oh and Tali, make sure you strip the room of horrors back there. I've something in mind for it."

* * *

**Appendix:** According to the games the Geth are a network of simple programs. Usually each program needs a unique identifier. The dash-separated blocks represent layers of organization. The first (mixed letters and numbers) may stand for a planet or a fleet, the second (capital letters) for a ship or a factory, the third (numbers) for a platform or a subsystem, and finally the last (small letters) for the individual program.  
This identifier is not to be confused with a name! Every time an individual program is loaded into a new environment (like from the platform into the mainframe or back) it gets a new identifier. A single program can log quite a lot of identifiers, usually only the first two remain constant.

Direct sound projection is something I imagine would be standard in a society where holographic and haptic projections are commonplace. It's simply a method of generating sound waves without the need of a classic membrane speaker. It's also a far more elegant method than full surround sound, as it can simply project the sound to the supposed source instead of generating it via superposition.

* * *

**AN:** I'm not really satisfied with how I wrote David Archer. I never met an autistic person, so I don't actually know how they interact with other people. If my portrayal is offending you, please drop me a note and I will change it.

My main source is the film 'Mercury Rising' with Bruce Willis, but the portrayal of Simon was to withdrawn for my purposes. As autism is highly individual and research into the disorder is still progressing I decided that David could talk to strangers but was unlikely to do so of his own volition. Only the special circumstances made him approach Shepard. His social skills are at a stage similar to that of a small kid, although his vocabulary is quite extensive. He is also a genius and can sometimes even make sense when speaking about math.

Over all he is almost childlike in his interactions with others, clearly not understanding some things we normalos take for granted. Since he has trouble forming attachments he does not grasp what death truly means. It is just another word for him, describing the state of not living any more.

Regarding my frequent mentions of good old 20th century science fiction. I imagine by the 22th century some of it will be something like classic literature. I fully expect that some of it will be read in school as the contents will become relevant to humanity.


	6. Doctors and Admirals

**AN:** This chapter and the next are little bit lighter than the rest of the story. Then it's off to Ilos where the story truly begins. This is just setting scene.

The second part takes place in the same night as the short scene with Liara in Chapter 3. Frankly I didn't plan for the call but thankfully it doesn't contradict anything there.

By the way – Extended Cut! Wee! I have to say I really enjoyed it. A lot makes more sense now and the evacuation scene... Heartbreaking. *sheds a manly tear*  
I just had to write a fluffy little short story to restore my balance. However Green Eyes is completely separated from this story. I'm going for an entirely different conclusion here. There won't be a Crucible and therefore no colour-coded endings.

* * *

"Ouch!"

The flinch accompanied by a sharp intake of breath got her a irritated look by Doctor Chakwas who was currently seeing to the bullet wound Shepard had received by the Geth. It was fairly minor but still hurt like hell, now that the painkillers her suit had administered had worn off. She had refused to take any more medication for now. There was still a lot to do and she preferred to have her wits about her. Her shortened out Bio-Amp was more of a problem, but an initial brain scan had revealed no damage. Still, as a precaution she was under orders not to use her biotics for the next week.

"Hold still Captain or I will sedate you. This small graze might seem like nothing to you, but I take my work very seriously. It will be over in a minute," the good Doctor admonished her, not unkindly.

"Captain, Admiral Mikhailovich for you on vidcom," came the voice of one of the bridge officers over the intercom.

Shepard let out a exasperated groan, followed by a startled yelp as Dr. Chakwas finished her magic. With a pat on the back and a flourish of the other hand she was cleared to go. Mumbling sincere thanks and giving a nod, Angie hopped from the bed and made for the door, putting on her jacket on the way out.

Stepping into the com-room she was greeted by an angry looking blue hologram of Rear-Admiral Mikhailovich, soon expected to make full Admiral and source to a lot of grief for the Spectre. Not to mention headaches. Technically she wasn't under his command anymore, but the Normandy had been assigned to his flotilla, if only briefly, prior to becoming the ship of a Spectre. The Alliance still wanted to keep tabs on her and tended to ignore the fact that she was outside the chain of command. At least that was the theory. In practice she had a ship to run. It might be difficult for the Alliance to take the Normandy from her, but the crew was mostly Alliance, paid by the Alliance. They might not be able to order Shepard around, but her crew was another matter entirely.

So there was an unsaid mutual agreement. She would do the odd job for the Alliance now and then and in return she got a ship with crew and all expanses paid. Ideally she would only ever have to deal with Admiral Hackett who was firmly behind her, seldom wasting her on menial tasks. But the Supreme Commander of the Alliance Fleet was a busy man, hence her current visitor.

The board of Admirals had decided that Rear-Admiral Mikhailovich was best suited to act as a sort of liaison officer for Shepard handling the day to day business. Of course they, including Mikhailovich, thought more in terms of commanding officer than an almost equal partnership. They viewed every covert Spectre-mission as suspect, while Mikhailovich took them almost as an insult. That he was a card carrying member of Terra Firma and a xenophobe only made matters worse. How anyone could think such a man should be anywhere near a multispecies operation like hers was beyond her. It defied logic. Which left politics as the only explanation. As if Angie needed any more proof that the higher echelons of the military were just as much about politics than actual politics.

For now she had kept her emotions in check, keeping things civil, albeit cold, even when the Admiral was all but outright accusing her to be a traitor, not only to the Alliance but to Humanity as a whole. Today however, in light of the mess another xenophobic hate-group had made, she felt anything but civil. That there were clear but unprovable links between Cerberus and Terra Firma was just the icing on the shit-cake.

"Captain Shepard, care to explain why you aborted your mission without even consulting with my or my staff? I should have you court martialed!" the Admiral started his tirade as soon as she accepted the call. He raged for a full five minutes before she finally decided to cut him off.

"First, Admiral, I didn't abort that joke of a mission. We had just completed it when a priority call came in. I left a detail planetside to tie things up and I guess by now things are settled.

"Second you can't court martial me. But feel free to file a complaint with the Council. I'm sure they will agree that babysitting Batarian prisoners is a much better use for a Spectre than, say, saving galactic civilization. Again. And I will happy to elaborate that I actually had to save them from yet another experiment conducted by Humans in direct violation of Council law gone wrong," she practically growled, causing the Admiral to blink in surprise before turning a several shades of red. Or blue.

"How dare you speak to me like that, I..."

"Then don't accuse me of things I didn't do or make assumptions about... well anything!" she exclaimed exasperated, quelling another tirade before it could gain momentum. "But lets talk about something else. That mission you 'scheduled' for next week? Can't do it. Got other plans. Besides it sounds like yet another small time slaver bust. Don't you have any N4's? Heck even N3's should do the job," she dismissively changed the subject.

"Oh, yes and what 'other plans' are those? If you think, you can ignore a direct command just to be with your Asari doxy to do whatever..." A sudden change in Shepard's body language made Admiral Mikhailovich stop dead in his tracks. Long forgotten survival instincts kicked back in. It was the same shift Tali and Garrus had seen just a few hours before and had seriously troubled them. Suddenly he felt cold sweat tickling down his back.

"Never say something like that again. Ever." Her voice matched her expression. Cold. Ruthless.

"Is that a threat? Remember you place, _Captain_!" Arrogance and sense of entitlement conspired to override instinct. It wasn't a smart thing to say for the Admiral but he could've picked worse words.

"Only if you remember yours, _Admiral_. In case you have forgotten, I am a _Spectre_. That means I'm not part of the chain of command. You don't get to order me around. And most certainly you don't get to talk like this about someone I care about. So if you want my future cooperation you better keep your mouth shut from now on," she retorted and hit the disconnect button before he could say anything that could lead to something she would regret later. As it was her outburst might have repercussions, but at the moment she couldn't care less. She was tired and emotionally drained. _Fuck it. Shit can wait till tomorrow._

"Pressly, I'm turning in for the night," she told her XO over intercom. "You have the deck. Tell Tali and Garrus to wrap things up and get a little shut-eye. Have Adams relieve you in two hours then hit the bunk yourself. I'll relieve him eight hours from now. Shepard out."

Squaring her shoulders she made for the quarters.

* * *

Lying in bed she couldn't sleep. _Figures._

With a sigh she summoned the HI-interface of her omnitool, checking the time in Nos Astra, Illium. It was well past midnight there, but knowing Liara she would be still awake, most likely in bed herself with several datapads keeping her company. A few quick commands opened a secure channel. Low priority, in case the Asari was asleep for once.

"Hello Shepard, what can I do for you?" Her response was quick as expected. She sounded weary, a sentiment Shepard could sympathize with. Her tone was neutral, almost guarded, as usual when she wasn't certain if it was a business call or a personal call. Or if someone else was listening. Their relationship wasn't a secret but neither was it common knowledge. Most of her crew knew of course,but she was confident they wouldn't talk about it. Mikhailovich might know something or his remark could have been a shot in the dark.

"Just needed to hear your voice Liara. Had a hell of a day and needed something positive. How was yours?" Angie answered softly, letting her know that they had privacy. Shepard was contemplating switching on the video feed but decided against it. Others might foot the bill but that was no reason to be wasteful. Interstellar communication, even voice only, was expensive after all.

"My day was nothing special. I tried to read a couple of papers some colleagues of mine have published a few weeks ago but there was nothing new in them, especially..." As Liara was recounting her day, Shepard noticed that there was something off. There were pieces missing as if she wanted to distract Angie from what had really happened. It was nothing really tangible but still stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Liara, stop. What's wrong? What are you not telling me?"

Her lover was silent for a moment, further enhancing her worry. Finally she spoke up again, her voice barely above a whisper. "Is it this obvious? I am sorry Angie, I had a bad day as well. I just didn't want to add my burden to yours."

"It's ok Liara. You can tell me. Might do you some good and maybe I can help."

"It's not important. We can talk when you arrive on Illium."

"Liara... Please don't shut me out. I want to help you."

Liara remained silent for a long time. Just as Shepard wanted to prod again, Liara exhaled in a barely stifled sob. When she spoke again her voice was raw. "I just miss you. When you are on a mission all I can do is worry about you. Normally I can handle it, but today I sent you out. I put you in danger. Me. I am afraid of what I turned into. It was just to much."

"Liara... If you hadn't sent me, an innocent young man would have died. Cerberus might have taken the data and a made a huge leap towards controlling the Geth. Liebling, I'm a soldier. I don't mind being put in danger if it's for a good cause. And I would rather take missions from you than that idiot Mikhailovich.

"Besides everything went fine. Nobody got hurt. Much."

"I know you could never stand by when others are in danger. And it's not something I want to change but still..."

"Yea, I hear you. It sucks. I'm really glad that we see each other in three days. And I just might have a little surprise for you then."

"A surprise?" Liara sounded slightly panicked. Surprisingly this didn't alarm Shepard in the slightest, as it reminded her of their first conversations back when they hunted Saren. "But I have got nothing for you in return! How big is this surprise? I need to get you something..."

"I don't expect anything in return Liara," Angie said with an easy laugh. "And I'm not telling you anything more, you'll have to wait. Oh and don't bother trying to find out on your own." She listened Liara huff and mumble for a little while, clearly not deterred by her. It made her smile for the first time on a long day. Followed by a hearty yawn.

"I love you," Angie mumbled sleepily.

"I love you too," came the response full of affection.

Across the galaxy, Liara heard her sliding gently into sleep, breathing relaxing. A few taps on her omni set it to automatically disconnect in a couple of minutes. Then she too finally drifted towards sleep to the gentle snoring of her distant lover, a peaceful smile on her face.

* * *

A day later, Shepard flicked idly through the manifest Adams had given her just an hour ago. Most of the equipment was already loaded into the cargo bay, which irritated Garrus to no end. He felt most at home around military hardware like the Mako and was not used to sit idle in the mess hall. For now he kept busy by helping to haul the heavier packages but he kept stealing longing glances towards his little baby, buried in crates.

As Shepard watched her crew bustling around she caught Tali's eye and motioned her over. The young Quarian gave the others she worked with a few quick instructions then made her way towards the Captain.

"Hey Tali, got a minute?"

"For you? Always."

"I wanted to apologize for snapping at you yesterday. I shouldn't have done that and I'm sorry," said Shepard, squeezing Tali's arm gently. "You did good down there."

"It's nothing Shepard. You were right to snap at me when I didn't follow your orders. But why are we taking the AI with us? I know it's deactivated and without power but..." Tali trailed off, uncertainty plain in her voice. After her people had created the Geth they had become the most fervent opposers to anything that went beyond the status quo in computer intelligence, despite being the most knowledgeable.

"I haven't decided yet but letting the stuff lie around for Cerberus to pick off where they left is a no-go," said Shepard, evading the question. She felt bad for not telling Tali what had happened with the AI but she needed time to think. "Anyhow I got a favour to ask. You know the room with the holoprojectors? I've got a special use for them and our little secret project. On Illium." She quickly outlined her plan. "You think it can be done on such short notice?"

"Yeah, sure. The technology is fairly simple. It might take a while to calibrate though. But I think I know just the person to help me with that." Both women shot a glance towards the Turian who was currently busy shifting some crates so he might do some work after all while they were en route.

"I figured you would need help anyway. Take whom you need but make sure that they know nothing until you are there. It's supposed to be a surprise," Angie said with a grin. Excusing herself she made for the brig, letting Tali continue with her work and figuring out the details. _Now back to business._

The two marines guarding Archer saluted her with a seriousness she wasn't quite used to anymore. Most people on the ship would offer her a form of respectful greeting when she walked past, but she was pretty lax in this. She actually discouraged it, believing that being aloft to much actually hurt on such a small ship. Other CO's might need the daily enforced discipline but she had found that most under her command actually performed better when she kept herself approachable. More human. It had been bad enough before becoming a spectre. When she had only been the best N7 graduate since Anderson and the Hero of Elysium to boot, Star of Terra and all that. She didn't need her crew shitting their pants when she entered a room.

With a curt nod she acknowledged the marines. Another dismissed them. Setting up Tali's ingenious anti-listening drones she paid the man behind bars no mind. The Quarian's had invented them with quite a different application in mind. In the crowded ships of the Migrant Fleet, privacy was hard to come by. They developed into a very social people out of necessity, hiding behind their suits as a substitute but sometimes that was not enough. Hence the drones.

It was a spread out grid of microphones coupled to DSP speakers. The microphones recorded any sound coming from within the covered area while the speakers projected an identical directed sound wave exactly out of phase completely nullifying the original. The protected volume was completely shielded from any casual eavesdropper and even more sophisticated listening devices provided they where outside. Obviously Shepard made a sweep for them as well but she was far more worried that the conversation was accidentally overheard by one of the crew. She trusted them inexplicitly but there was no sense in taking chances where they weren't necessary.

Having completed the preparations she turned towards Gavin Archer, for now just observing him. He managed to look both more anxious and relaxed then when he had met him on Aite. She figured that being out of immediate danger was responsible for the second and his uncertain future for the first. Back on the planet it had been simple. Live or die, there was no middle ground.

"Captain, let me thank you for saving my brother," the man spoke with remarkable composure, given the circumstances. "I fear I have made the wrong impression on you when we first met. Let me assure you, that despite everything, I love my brother more than everything in the galaxy. Yes, my judgement wasn't the best, but had I known... I would have never let David anywhere near that monstrous AI! Thank got you were able to destroy it," he added after seeing the surprised look on the Spectre's face.

"You know Archer, you really screwed up down there. Big time. And you still fail to see what went wrong. Let me educate you," Shepard fixed the Doctor with one of her menacing glares. "Your first error was to underestimate the Geth. Or Sovereign. Doesn't matter. We figure the Geth weren't following Saren out of free will just as that Turian bastard didn't follow Sovereign willingly.

"Your second error was to leave the AI completely in the dark on many basics but give it extensive knowledge on the Geth. The 'thing' thought it was only disabling platforms, not killing people. People who had tried to kill it by the way.

"That wouldn't have happened, if not for your third error. David doesn't grasp death any better than the AI did. The blind leading the blind and all that shit. A normal person might have prevented the worst.

"And the best thing? As soon as I explained what it did to the AI it was more than ready to deactivate itself. It seemed ashamed and regretful. It only asked that I consider reactivating it in a save environment where it could be fixed.

"So here I am, straddled with three problems: A remorseful but still illegal AI, a deeply troubled young man who's brother clearly is not fit to care for him and a scientist, guilty of treason and breaking a handful of Citadel laws."

They regarded each other in silence for several minutes. Shepard already had a few ideas how to tackle the situation but it all depended on Archer. The ball was firmly in his court.

"If I may make a suggestion regarding David," Archer said with clearly forced calm. "Clearly you don't intend to punish him but social welfare is just that. David needs to be challenged or he becomes unruly. That's why I take him with me to all my projects. It's not just to make use of his remarkable mind but he actually enjoys the puzzles. He's happy this way.

"There's a school, called Grissom Academy, that would be perfect for him. It's supposed to prepare the brightest young minds mankind has to offer for whatever greatness lies in store for them. At least that's their sales pitch. It's also an R&D-lab for the Alliance but one of the good kind. Since it's part-civilian, part-military with parents visiting all the time, everything, well, most of it, is above board. I considered enrolling David, but Project Overlord wouldn't have allowed me to visit him. Now it might be an option."

Towards the end he looked hopeful. Angie however didn't let anything show on her face, her arms crossed over her chest. While she let the Doctor stew for a few moments she smiled inwardly. This was going better than expected.

"I've heard of this Academy of yours. Might be worth looking into. But that still leaves you and the AI. To be frank I'm not prepared to give up on a potential asset. And as a Spectre I can ignore certain things," she responded evasively, leaving open who – or what – she considered an asset.

"I don't know what to say Captain," Dr. Archer responded carefully. "We designed the AI you encountered to be inquisitive and curious. We didn't expect it to actually convert the Geth right away but lay the founding stone in understanding them. Our data on how the Geth work, what makes them sentient, is very limited. The Quarians might know more, but they aren't sharing. We left the AI purposely in a rather blank state as to not contaminate it with wrong assumptions."

"Guess that one backfired spectacularly," Shepard quipped, unable to restrain herself.

"Well. Yes. While the AI is programmed to be driven, we didn't make it particularly aggressive. We didn't anticipate that it would perceive us as a threat. But it's very adaptive. You shouldn't have any problem moulding it to your desires."

"Good. I will take that under consideration. That leaves you. Of course you are aware that I should just shoot you and be done with it. You worked for Cerberus, a terrorist organization, and committed treason in the middle of a war. That's punishable by death," she let that hover for a couple of seconds. "However that would be a waste in my opinion. We are up against a race of highly sophisticated AI's – and I'm not talking about the Geth here – and we know literally nothing about them or even AI's in general. We barely scratched the surface as far as I'm aware. We can't fight an enemy we don't understand in the slightest!

"And we might need Synthetic help against the Reapers. We have seen what one can do. Imagine hundreds, if not thousands of them!

"I'm offering you a way out. A get-out-of-jail-card. Work for me, and I will not only not kill you, I will protect you from Cerberus. They are bound to be gunning for you, if only to protect themselves or their investment. You will be working with an interdisciplinary team with only one goal: giving us an edge against the Reapers. We take anything. New tech of any kind, insight into Synthetic logic up to full scale AI's to help us in battle.

"What's it to be?"

"You really don't leave me much of a choice, Captain," the man threw up his hands in defeat.

"No, I guess I don't," she smirked at him.

"Very well. I accept under the condition that David is allowed to attend Grissom Academy," seeing the grim expression on the Captain's face in reaction to his demand Gavin Archer quickly threw up his hands again. "I realize that I don't have much to bargain with, but consider it an additional motivator for me."

"Alright. You have a deal. But I'm warning you Archer! No more screw ups or I will take David away from you for good. But I promise you, David won't be harmed no matter what. I don't do hostages. Repercussions will be entirely on your end," stabbing a few buttons on her omnitool she dispersed the privacy shield and made for the exit. When she arrived there she gave Archer a look over her shoulder and told him, as if it was an afterthought. "Later I will arrange for you to visit your brother in the med-bay. He's fine but still a little exhausted. I might even allow you to bunk in the lab from now on."

"T-thank you Captain," stammered Archer, clearly not expecting the generosity.

* * *

Finally everything was stowed away and they were ready to leave. An Alliance patrol would soon secure the rest of the facility but all the essential things were already on board the Normandy, the cargo bay full to the brim. There hadn't been any complications and Cerberus hadn't even reared one head, let alone all three. For a watchdog he was apparently slumbering quite peacefully.

Shepard was standing over the Galaxy map. Their destination already keyed in, she watched the small status display indicating the readiness of the various stations. Only one – engineering – showed a yellow instead of a green light.

"Pressly, plot a course to Illium," she ordered as soon as all was in the green. "Joker, bring us out."

She joined Joker in the helm, as always fascinated by the spectacle of the relay jump.  
Ten kilometres out. The slender rings at the centre of the gigantic structure began to spin in a mad pattern, emanating the distinctive blue glow. A approach vector was displayed on the window, not that Joker really needed that sort of crutch.  
Five kilometres out. A lightning arch spanned from the relays centre to the Normandy, bathing the black space in blue light. _Finally. Just a few hours now.  
_One kilometre out. The blue arch took hold of the small ship and like a Roman scorpion hurled it across the Galaxy. Even in near vacuum there was a sonic boom, so fast was the acceleration. Not that anyone heard of course.

* * *

**AN:** As everyone with an interest in science fiction knows: Sound in space is humbug. Well is it? Yes. And No. Space isn't empty, especially inside a solar system, so there will be some sonic wave propagation. However the fluid dynamics of very dilute gases at very low temperatures are much, much more complicated. (Well I say, very dilute and cold, but trust me – we are orders of magnitude above from where the fun starts)  
Anyhow, in the game there was this characteristic, deep boom which shook half the house thanks to my subwoofer. At let's face it. Without sound it would be half the fun.


	7. Operation Dance Sensation

**AN:** For once not much to say. Enjoy the fluff while it lasts!  
Minor sexyness towards the end. You will know when it's about to happen...

* * *

Landing in Nos Astra was smooth as always, Liara having secured a docking bay for the Normandy beforehand. They would stay there for the rest of the week and later meet up with Kaidan and his squad on the Citadel. Signing of on the shore leave roaster Pressly had drawn up, Shepard left the Normandy in the capable hands of her XO who did not take any time off for himself. He had asked for extended shore leave during the trip to Ilos to reconnect with his family – his daughter was getting married. Shepard gladly granted permission and even insisted on buying the bride a small gift.

This way, Shepard found herself with four whole days without duties, emergencies and other negative distractions. Time she promised herself she would spend in the best way imaginable to her – together with Liara. The later would not be able to tear herself from her work however, the two week expedition to Ilos already put a strain on her operations, but Angie didn't mind to much. She was perfectly happy lounging in Liara's office.

Stepping outside the Normandy she was slightly disappointed that the Asari was not there to greet her but it was not completely out of character for Liara to have simply forgotten. _No not forgotten. Something has distracted her I'm sure._

Shacking her head in amusement she took her duffel sack and left the docking bay. It was one of the more central ones in the city, only a short walk from Liara's office in fact. Outside the scenery took her breath away like it always did.

Illium was at the hotter end of the habitable zone. Only the polar regions, where the temperatures remained tolerable throughout the year, were actually inhabited. Like Earth, the rotational axis of the planet was slightly tilted which meant seasonal long days or nights. Currently Nos Astra was near the end of it's sun-facing season, the city bathed in what seemed an eternal sunset of a warm late summer day. The elegant pillars that defined Asari architecture were glowing in the sun's red radiance, further softening their lines. The unhurried business on the market terrace before her was just as elegant. Illium was an Asari world. And it showed. On the Citadel one was as likely to bump into an Asari as into any other species but here they outnumbered every other species ten to one.  
For a couple of moments she just leaned on the railing and took in the singular serenity of the scene. Just another visitor, mesmerized by the elegance that seemed second nature to the Galaxy's oldest tenants.

Her reverie was interrupted by an Asari that addressed her from behind.  
"Excuse me, are you Captain Shepard? I think I have a message for you from a mutual friend. Would you like to hear it?"

Angie was slightly taken aback. The only person she knew on Illium was Liara whom she had spoken to only yesterday. _Gods, I hope she is alright!_  
"Guess so. Shoot," she agreed, turning with arms crossed before her chest just in time to witness the transformation.

The face of the Asari went slack, her eyes turned white and the voice changed slightly. Most would think her possessed. Incidentally they would be quite right.  
"Shepard. We hide. We burrow. We build. But we know that you seek those who soured the songs of our mothers. When the time comes, our voice will join with yours, and our crescendo will burn the darkness clean.  
"Thank you, Shepard. The Rachni will sing again, because of you."

Angie raised a single eyebrow at that. "Well, that's something I did not expect. How did _you_ run into the Rachni Queen?"

"The whole story would be quite tedious. It's enough to say, that I was shot down by pirates and saved by the Rachni. They have healed my wounds and repaired my ship. They are an amazing people Shepard! I'm glad you saved them.  
"Now I'm helping them any way I can. They are amazing builders, my ship runs better than ever before! But some things they can't produce themselves. They needed an agent inside the system and I'm happy to repay them."

"Glad to hear they stay out of trouble. But I wonder... Was that message what I think it was? An offer to form an alliance against the Reapers?"

"I think so, Shepard. From what I understand the Rachni aren't violent but they nevertheless attacked us in the Rachni War. The Queen says that something _soured the song of her mothers_. I believe that roughly translates to mind control."

"Indoctrination," Shepard mused, a scowl on her face. "That's bad news. If the Reapers are able to enslave a whole race without even exposing themselves we are in for one hell of a shitstorm. "No matter. I understand the Queen might want to keep a low profile, but if there is anything she needs, just ask. Either me personally or if I'm not available you can trust Liara T'Soni – and only her! If you see the Queen please tell her I wish her well and that I would like to speak to her at her convenience. We have to stand together if we are to have a chance."

"I will do as you asked, Shepard. Farewell," said the mysterious Asari before vanishing among the crowd.

Troubled by the revelation, Angie turned back to the skyline. It failed to capture her like it did moments ago, her eye for beauty shut by the mirages of war. It took a major effort of will to tear her mind from the dark thoughts as she made her way to Liara's office.  
She announced herself to Nyxeris, Liara's secretary, who told her to go right in. Liara was on a call, standing with her back towards the door.

"Have you faced an Asari Commando unit before? Few Humans have. I'll make it simple. Either you pay me or I'll flay you alive. With my mind." Her voice was cold, promising that she would indeed follow through with her threat. Terminating her call and turning to face the new arrival her demeanour changed in an instant.

"Shepard!" Joy and happiness were plain on her face as she all but leaped into the arms of her waiting lover, kissing her fiercely.  
They finally broke the kiss but were still holding each other, Angie sporting a lopsided smirk.  
"I gotta say T'Soni. Not bad. You might want to work on your threats though. Asari Commandos? Please, the last ones I fought were hardly a challenge. The 'flay you alive with my mind' part was nice though. One out of two. Not bad for a rookie like you I guess. We'll make an evil scientist out of you yet."  
Her remark earned her a huff and a hard punch on the shoulder. In response she tightened her grip.

"I've missed you, Liara."

"I've missed you as well."

Giving her a final squeeze and a quick peck on the cheek, Angie disentangled herself from the embrace. Flopping herself on the nearby couch she shot Liara another of her patented lopsided smirks.

"So, any plans for tonight?"

"Goddess, I completely forgot to book anything! I guess it's home cooked tonight," Liara's cheeks coloured in embarrassment.

"Well, lucky you, _I_ did remember. We have a reservation for nine at the 'Blue Rose'," Shepard replied, smirk still in place.

"Oh... that's fantastic," Liara was excited and embarrassed at the same time. She wasn't one to go out by herself, but she always enjoyed her more formal dates with Angie. It was a funny thing, since in formal situations it was the Human who was slightly awkward and not Liara, courtesy to a long training at the feet of an Asari matriarch.

Glancing at the duffel bag her expression worried.  
"I hope you have something else to wear. I will not be seen in public with someone who wears crinkled slacks and a T-shirt," she said, only half mocking. Shepard's smirk was replaced by a scowl. She knew where this was going. She also knew that she had already lost. _Gah. She has to be the only one who could get me into a dress. Well, she and mom. And mom knows better since the fiasco of '68._

"Fine. I'll buy something for tonight," she practically growled. Inwardly she was half pleased. Not because she looked forward to go shopping for a dress but because it would offer her the opportunity to slip away for a couple of hours to finalize her plans with Tali without raising suspicion. _Come to think of, Tali can help me pick the damn thing. She literally can't have less clue about this than me._

* * *

"No, no, no Shepard! That dress won't do! It clashes with your hair, your eyes. Blue is not your colour."

_Nice Shepard. Taking fashion advice from the girl that hides herself behind a full body environment suit. That's gotta be a new low._  
"But I like blue!" she protests as Tali wrenches the blue dress out of her hands, tossing it carelessly on a nearby pile of clothes.

"Obviously," the Quarian said with a laugh. "But believe me. Blue is definitely not your colour. At least in regards to clothes.  
"Here try this one."

Fishing out a emerald traditional Asari gown she hurried Angie towards the changing cabins. While she changed into the dress the continued their previous conversation.

"Anyway, we will leave the office at half past seven. I've told Nyxeris to expect you so you don't need to hack into the office. After dinner I will take Liara dancing so we won't be back till one, maybe two. You think that's enough time?"

"You. Dancing. Now there's a thing I don't need to see again," Tali deadpanned. "But one o'clock is fine. I got Garrus and Greg to help me out and it's really easy to set up. We will be done in no time, three hours tops. _We_ know how to put things together. You need help with that dress as well or will the manual be enough?"

Flicking aside the curtain, Angie fixed her friend with a deadly glare. Normally she wouldn't mind the teasing and replying in kind. Combat couldn't faze her, but cloths shopping obviously did.

"Perfect! Liara's going to love it! You might want to unscrew your scowl though. You look like you are ready to hurt someone," exclaimed Tali, ignoring the daggers glared in her direction. Only when Shepard took a lunge at her, she made a single step back. It was enough. Angie, quite unaccustomed to the restrictiveness of the floor reaching dress stumbled rather clumsily. Only years of training saved her from serious injury.  
But in the end she couldn't help herself and joined Tali in her laughter. It was just to funny. The almighty Commander Shepard, who ate Geth Primes for breakfast and rogue Spectres for lunch, brought low by a fucking dress.

* * *

Dinner was perfect.

Liara had loved the dress Tali had chosen for Angie, making the Human even more indebted to her friend. Angie had been content to listen to Liara as she was talking about her favourite subject – the Protheans. It was clear that she missed her scientific work, her enthusiasm unbroken. The revelation of the Reaper Cycle had shattered most of the very few assumed certainties of the enigmatic predecessor race but Liara was not deterred. No, she saw it as a challenge and even wondered if they would somehow glean information on those that came even before the Protheans. For Shepard it was a little like time travel. As if the last year with all it's hardship hadn't happened and they were just another happy couple enjoying a nice dinner. That was not all of course. Angie had never considered herself an academic type but she nevertheless tended to soak up knowledge like a sponge.  
Liara on the other end valued Shepard's quick wit and unique perspective but most of all, that she truly listened without prejudice, something her colleagues never had done.

After dinner they went to a nearby club called Eternity. Liara was a little surprised. They had gone dancing exactly one time and much to their dismay, they found themselves decisively not compatible on the dancefloor. Liara was all sensual grace while Shepard... Suffice to say, her current dress was not really suited for her dance style. While Shepard clearly enjoyed dancing she was less than graceful, a fact that had earned her a lot of teasing, not always good naturedly. As a result she seldom hopped on the dance floor anymore, usually only under the influence of alcohol. Lots of alcohol.

Today was different however. She had carefully chosen the club for it's slow jazzy music. Perfect for slow dancing. As she offered her hand with a clear indication that she would lead, she only got a raised eyebrow-tattoo in response that sent her giggling like a schoolgirl. Finally resigning to her fate Liara stepped up.

Their first steps were tentative. Once or twice toes got under feet, but they soon found their rhythm. Moving together in slow patterns, Liara unconsciously started a meld, her eyes turning obsidian. Keenly aware of each other, tightly embracing they danced for almost two hours, completely oblivious to the bemused glances they received.

Exhausted Liara broke the meld only now realizing what she had done. "Goddess Shepard... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that without your permission..."

"Shh... Liebling. It's fine. No, it was perfect! I've told you already, _you_ are always welcome up there," Angie told her with a smile, tapping her temple. "You took up permanent residence anyway."

"Still..."

"No. There is nothing you have to apologize for," she interrupted any further argument with a fierce hug. "Thank you for the dance, my lady, but it's getting late and we still have places to be."

"My, aren't you full of surprises tonight," Liara relented with a coy smile. "Just answer me one thing. How long?"

"Three months, every day. The Foxtrot was a bitch at first but I got it after a month. And let's not get into that Asari dance... What was it's name? The K'Tir?" Angie replied sheepishly.

Liara tried desperately not to laugh at the mental image of Captain Angie Shepard, practising dance steps in her small cabin aboard the Normandy. She failed miserably, downright breaking down in laughter. What she would give for a vid of that scene!  
To her relief, Shepard didn't seem to mind at all, gracing her instead with a self satisfied smile.

"Well, I can attest that it was a tremendous success. Let's do that again sometime!" Liara slightly swayed on her feet, immediately feeling the steadying grip of her lover. "Just not right now. I will just go to the rest room to freshen up, then we can go to this mysterious place you mentioned before."

Liara left, loving smile on her lips but still unsure on her feet. Shepard debated with herself if she should accompany her but ultimately decided against. Instead she made for the bar.

"You look like you could use some liquid, flushed as you are. You sure pulled off quite a stunt with that girlfriend of yours. So what can I get you?"

Quickly scanning her options, recognizing none of them, Angie answered. "Don't care as long as it's stiff. What did you mean with stunt? We just danced!"

The Asari barkeeper busied herself with mixing something for the Human. She had briefly considered spicing things up just for the heck of it but dismissed the idea. Her concoction still carried on hell of a punch though.

"Well, there is dancing and then there is what you did. Melding in public like this practically oozes sex to us Asari. And her being so young... Nevermind though. This is Illium. Nobody will give it a second thought. Myself, I have seen much weirder shit than your little show. Being a matriarch does that to you. Actually it was kind of cute. Definitely a step up from what I did when I was one hundred, shacking my ass in some sleazy bar."

"You? A matriarch?" Shepard asked incredulously. "Aren't they supposed to give wise council and not say... Serve drinks in a bar?"

"Well, I could give you some bullshit line of how wisdom comes in the strangest places, how I decided to dispense my 'infinite wisdom' in the unlikeliest place and all that crap but you wouldn't believe me anyway.  
"Fact is I had enough of those stuck up bitches back on Thessia. Laughed the blue off my ass they did! When I proposed that we should get our daughters working sooner and not have them spend their wild maiden years shacking there asses or running with Eclipse. We could have build our own Mass Relays by now if most of us didn't spend six centuries doing shit."

"Well, I guess you can find wisdome in the unlikeliest of places after all," Angie tried to lighten the mood but the Asari had already poisoned her mind. "But I guess you are right, especially given what happened with Saren last year. And take it from me – it's only going to get worse."

"No shit. It's always getting worse. I've seen it all. Wars big and small, colonies vanishing, politicians destroying years of hard work. In the end the only thing you can do is find happiness in whoever arms will hold you."

"Amen to that." Watching Liara make her way back from the bathroom, Shepard quickly tossed her drink back she extended her hand towards the barkeeper.

"Name's Shepard by the way. Tanks for the drink and the conversation."

"Aethyta. Pleasure's all mine," Aethyta's grasp is firm. She has a good shake. No nonsense.  
"Now you treat her good, you hear me? She's a fragile one, I can tell." _And may the Goddess help you if you hurt her._

"Liara and fragile? Believe me, she's badass," Angie quipped with a grin over her shoulder as she made to intercept Liara. "She once lifted a two ton stone and dropped it on a Krogan's head. After ten hours of extensive combat."

"Doesn't matter," Aethyta whispered after Shepard so that she couldn't hear her, face grim. "The harder you make yourself, the easier you shatter. It only takes one punch where you are weak."

* * *

Liara was quite aware that they were going in circles. Part of her did not care, enjoying the perfect evening turned night with her love. The more inquisitive part was bursting with impatience. The later part finally took over, when it was clear that they were headed for her office, which incidentally was only a five minute walk away from the club they had left almost an hour ago.

"You are evil, you know that? You could have just asked for a moonlight walk," she huffed as they entered the building. As it was, the night proper was almost over. At this time of year it was only dark for about two hours after all.

"I admit, our little detour was mostly that but I also wanted to make sure that everything is ready," Shepard said with her smirk, as she opened the door to the office.

Which Liara did not recognize anymore. Instead of her office she stepped into the CIC of a space ship. And not any space ship either. It was clearly the Normandy, the mixed Human-Turian design still unique. A second glance revealed that it was not quite the ship she had spend almost a year on. She was sleeker, more polished and even moderner than the original which was still the most advanced ship in the galaxy. She was also bigger.

"Shepard... How... What is this place?" Liara stood shell shocked. The whole situation was just unreal. Hours ago she had left this very office and now it was a space ship.

"What exactly do you mean? It's still your office, we just... ahem... augmented it a little bit. As for this," Shepard said with an all encompassing motion. "This is the Normandy SR-2. Or rather a simulation of her. The ship that will take you from this infernal place of debauchery and back to the stars where you belong. With me.  
"Now. Would mademoiselle like the tour?"

"Eh... Y-Yes that would be nice," Liara stammered.

"Very well, but what to show you first... Aha! I know! And it will answer your next question I would guess," Angie was enjoying herself immensely, putting on a show for Liara and keeping her off balance. She made a couple of command gestures, a small haptic interface subliming under her fingers out of thin air. Some quick stabs later the room changed. They were now in the mess hall. Liara finally realized that it was all a hologram that filled out the whole room. She had never seen or heard of anything like it.

"This is the mess hall, as you might have guessed. It's quite a bit larger than our current one. You might have noticed that the sleeper pods are gone. The SR2 is equipped with actual crew quarters alongside a couple of observation lounges for recreation. Frankly for a stealth frigate that is supposed to run silently for possibly months the Alliance was a tight-arse with creature comforts. But moving on."

A couple of gestures brought them towards the Captains cabin. The experience was slightly unsettling as they appeared to glide over the floor, but it was soon over and they were through the door.

"This will be your office. It has got everything you could wish for. Privacy, lot's of computational power, a direct link via QEC to this very office we are standing in right now, a small lab should you stumble upon some Prothean artefacts in the back. Also we got a Relay capable shuttle down in the cargo hold, fully equipped with a minor variation of the Normandy's stealth drive should you ever need it.  
"Questions?" seeing the nonplussed expression on Liara's face, Angie's grin only grew. "None? Very well, we'll have time for an extensive Q'nA later. Moving on."

Again she made some gestures and the setting changed again. "This is the main lab. Back on the SR1 the medbay doubles as a field lab but it was an afterthought at best and not nearly adequate.  
"The lab on the SR2 will have all essential tools for every science that could become relevant. Archaeology of course, but also biology, chemistry, physics and a couple others I can't even pronounce. Or might not even have names yet.  
"Of course our main science project still stands. Think of this as more of a field lab, doing quick and dirty initial analysis or monitoring in the field."

Again Shepard made some motions. This time the room went pitch black.  
"And now for the highlight of our tour. Your quarters mademoiselle," the light turned back on. "And incidentally – mine as well."

The Captain's cabin could only be described as luxurious, especially considering they were meant to be on a space ship. A huge aquarium dominated the space an bathed the room in soft blue light, the odd reflection dancing across the furniture. The room itself was divided into two parts by a low wall and two small steps leading down to the main part.

The upper part consisted of a small office and a niche for the bathroom. The lower part was sparsely furnished. Beside the large bed there was only a couch – Liara was surprised that is was actually the very same couch that stood in her office, cunningly integrated into the simulation – and a low table upon which a hologram of a ship floated. Closer inspection revealed that it had to be the Normandy SR2, the shape very reminiscent of the current Normandy but even sleeker.

Angie guided them towards the couch. Liara half expected it would turn out to be another illusion and they would land on their asses.  
"Liara, you have been awfully quite," for the first time real anxiety entered the Captain's voice. "Don't you like it?"

"Like it? I _love_ it! If we can make this work... But how? Who? I'm sorry, it's just to much to take in at once," Liara was still in shock. Joy, amazement and pure curiosity all flickered across her face in quick succession. It was such an innocent display, that Angie began to chuckle softly, once again reminded why she had fallen in love with the young Asari in the first place.

"Well, I think we can chalk that one down as a successful surprise."

The next hour was spend explaining how the crew, especially Tali and Adams, plus a few discreet outsiders had spent the last five months drawing up the plans. They weren't finished just yet, but would be soon. As for the money, raiding slavers might be dull work, but it turned out to be very lucrative if one knew how to hack the personal omni-tools and the like. Even after they had given the lion's share away to the families that had suffered under the Batarians, Shepard had made another small fortune, just big enough to pay for the ship with all it's luxuries. They still needed a dry dock discreet enough to handle the job as Shepard was practically stealing Alliance secrets, even though no one was under the illusion that anybody with the credits to actually build a ship like that would have problems getting the plans of the original Normandy.  
Besides she was a Spectre. As long as Anderson got her six, the brass couldn't touch her.

They had finished talking some ten minutes ago, Liara's curiosity for once sated. Now they just sat on the couch, arms around each other and looking at the projected stars that shone through the skylight as the night slowly turned into dawn. Liara's head rested on her lover's shoulder.

"You couldn't have made me a better gift my love. If only this was the real ship and not some hologram. It's nice though, to pretend..." Liara said, snuggling against the Human who just smiled and squeezed her a little. "I hope everything goes as planned but I worry, Angie. What will the Alliance say? Or the Council? Then there is the crew to worry about..."

"Shhhh... That doesn't matter right now," Angie interrupts. "The Alliance doesn't matter. The Council doesn't matter. They are just small minded people who won't see what's right in front of them. Let them rage and curse. By the time this ship gets build they will be firmly on the way we have planned for them and if worse comes to worst we can go silent.  
"It would be easy for a single ship to get lost up there, wouldn't it?"

"I guess. But right now, there is no place in the Galaxy I'd rather be."

Lowering her gaze to look at her lover, Angie finds herself captive by Liara's eyes. As if in trance their mouths inch closer and closer, almost agonizingly slow. When their lips connect they hold back the urge to just ravish each other for tantalizing seconds, instead merely brushing against each other sharing each other's breath, ever so slowly deepening the contact. It is Shepard who's patience runs out first, deepening the kiss. Pulling Liara down with her she began stroking the Asari's naked back and caressing her crest with one hand, the other working the zip of her dress. Liara's restraint was shattered the very same moment, her hands buried in red hair, stroking it, grabbing it, moaning in between kisses when Angie hit's a sensitive spot.

Finally, their clothes discarded, they look into each others eyes, one pair green, one blue turning obsidian as above the sun greeted a new day.

"_Embrace Eternity._"

* * *

**AN:** The dance scene is a little inspired from personal experience.  
I like to dance but I'm not, what you could call refined... I'm most at home at Ska or Punk concerts, especially when they got a good round of Pogo going if you catch my drift.  
However, for my Matura Ball (prom night for those across the big pond) my class decided to organize dancing lessons and while I remember next to nothing about steps and such, we had lots of fun. We even practised outside the regular lessons during training in the gym... Imagine a couple of beefed up guys and gals, sweating from exercise and covered in chalk, doing the Walzer...  
Good times...  
A couple of years later I tried my feet on salsa. Didn't go well... I had fun though. Those around me... not so much.

And I just couldn't help myself. I just felt like a little bit like foreshadowing.  
And twisting the dialogue, mixing the lines and sequence up, is just to much fun. The reason for this will become much clearer later on. I hope.

I've taken some liberties to change the layout of the Normandy SR2. It's a mixture of the one in ME2 and ME3. I've taken what I thought best from the two as it makes sense for Shepard to be a little bit more traditional in her planning than Cerberus. Yet she needs some rooms like the lab while others like the war room aren't needed in the form they take on in ME3. Also it makes no sense for Liara's office to have a spare bed. *Cough*


	8. Ilos

**AN:** Onward to Ilos! But before that, some other players demand to make an appearance. An we get to see Aethyta once again! Sorry, she just pushed herself in.  
By the way, unlike other aliens she has quite a repertoire of Human idioms although they tend to be of the more vulgar kind. Hands up who is surprised...

There's some angst and mush.

* * *

His office was sparsely furnished with a focus on functionality. It was far more spacious than really necessary but someone in his position was entitled to some luxuries. He was contemplating the big mission before him, or rather before his agents. Soon they would pierce a secret he had been hunting after for a whole year. It had started out as a minor interest, born of his desire to amass information. Information was power, he had learned that at a young age.  
After two fruitless months, utterly out of proportion for that kind of information he was after, it became personal. Nothing bad would happen to him if he didn't get it, he was aware that sooner rather then later the secret would be out in the open, for something that was still a secret anyway, but that didn't matter. He wanted that information, and he wanted it yesterday. To his frustration only a select handful of people actually knew about the existence of this particular secret and far less knew the secret itself. None of those had proven corruptible. But now one of his agents had made progress.

A message from one of his agents, flagged as urgent, popped up on his main screen, rousing him of his reverie. A quick glance confirmed that it was indeed the message he had been waiting for, that everything was going according to plan. He was immensely pleased.

Pushing a button, a prerecorded message was sent to a group of his best agents. Confident that things had been set in motion, he settled back into his chair, relaxing. Soon the secret would be his.

* * *

Almost on the other side of the galaxy, another office. They could be described with the same words, yet the two offices were vastly different. The same could be said about their respective masters. Well, almost.

He was contemplating the big mission before him. Soon the first big step would have been made after almost a year of work. He considered himself to be patient but he was disappointed on how slow progress had been made on this particular project he had set in motion a year ago. He was used to quick results, something his agents were keenly aware of. It pushed them to excel.

It made dealing with outside 'contractors' all the more frustrating, like the current project on his mind showed. Only a select handful of people could deliver him what he wanted. None of them had proven themselves corruptible. Until now.

A message from one of his agents, flagged as urgent, popped up on his main screen, rousing him from his reverie. He read the text carefully, committing each detail to memory. Things were finally going his way. He was immensely pleased.

Pushing a button, he sent a prerecorded message back to his agent, instructing him how to proceed. Confident that things had been set in motion, he settled back into his chair, relaxing. Soon she would be his.

* * *

The next three days were in turns hectic and timeless. Liara was excited like a bride right before the wedding, running last minute checks on everything. Despite her years she had been on quite a few digs but had never actually organized an expedition for more people than herself. It showed how she tried to micromanage everything. That she tended to obsess over the things that were important to her didn't help. Shepard spent most of her time trying to get her away from her work which in her opinion could be perfectly handled by her staff. Why Liara had to personally select which kind of field rations they would bring with them was a mystery to Shepard.

In the end they divided their time almost equally between preparations, information brokering, which Shepard actually rather enjoyed, and quality time.  
Their time alone wasn't all fun and games though, much to their mutual disappointment. Slipping away into one of several hideouts they had bought in and around Nos Astra they worked hard on their secret agenda, preparing the galaxy for war. They had research groups to organize, information to gather and politicians to bribe, threaten or in one unsavoury example, replace rather messily. Their project to set up a remote research facility out in the middle of nowhere was coming along nicely as well, most preparations already done, only a location was missing.  
Liara finally found a promising candidate. The system was unnamed and half forgotten, long range scans and the odd probe had shown no interesting planets with only one of them inside the habitable zone, if barely. The system had come to her attention by sheer accident. Some random scrap of data the Protheans had left behind to be found by her some twenty years ago had held the coordinates, much to the excitement of a certain young archaeologist.  
It turned out to be a waste of time. There were indeed some Prothean ruins but they were small and stripped bare of anything worth her while. The location itself was interesting enough Liara supposed, a patch some hundred square-kilometres big where life thrived to the point of abundance on an otherwise barren world. It was one of the thousands of small mysteries in the galaxy that where just not big enough to warrant proper investigation. Her own amateurish attempts did nothing to shed some light on it and neither did the Prothean remains. She didn't bother to write a paper on her find.  
It was perfect for their operation though. Away from the beaten path but still in easy reach as it was situated in one of the numerous transit nebula. With a bit of care nobody would notice the odd freighter disappear for a couple of hours on it's route from one Mass Relay to the next.  
They celebrated with euphoric, needy sex, having denied each other for the whole day.

Angie would have liked more time for themselves without plotting and scheming but she figured they would get plenty of it during the two weeks on Ilos. Right now that was a small solace as she was waiting at the Eternity for Liara to show up. Probably she got tangled up yet again. Her money was on insect repellent.  
With a heavy sigh she motioned the barkeeper over, the same she had talked to last time – Matriarch Aethyta. The gruff woman had grown on her, so unlike other Asari as she was. Not stuck up like the more well to do Matrons and Matriarchs or the fickle Maidens, Aethyta was one of a kind, a kindred spirit – just like Liara - only the exact opposite.

* * *

Aethyta hadn't expected to see Shepard again so soon. It made her worry slightly but decided for now to just keep playing her role. Not that it was that hard to play. She had been a bartender for years now, not out of necessity but because she liked it. She got to meet interesting people and was entitled to rant. No one seemed to mind.

"Hit me."

"Yeah, I'm guessing that's a Human idiom for 'Give me a drink'," the Asari said with a smirk. At Shepard's annoyed flick with her head she started pouring, never stopping her banter. "Or do you want me to take a swing? I gotta warn you though, I pack a serious punch. Comes from being half Krogan."

"I always thought they were more into headbutting," Shepard said with her usual smirk. "And while I have to decline your offer - can't spoil my looks today - you would be surprised at how much I can take. Got hit by a charging Krogan once. He's dead. I'm not." That elicited an amused grunt from the bartender.

"All alone today? Girlfriend dumped you?"

"Hardly, not that's any of your business," Shepard frowned as she sipped on her drink. "She's just occupied with work."

"Figured as much. She's always driving herself too hard."

"Wait, you know Liara?"

"Please give me _some_ credit Spectre. After all it was your species that introduced the 'Ask the bartender for information'-idea into the Galactic community. Here on Illium information can be a stronger currency then credits..." noting the scowl on the Humans face she amended almost defensively. "But me, I'm just a dabbler. Like to know who comes into my bar before they start trouble.

"She's here once a week, always sitting by herself in the corner over there with a datapad in her hand. Had plenty of hopefuls. Turned them all down of course. Piqued my interest, that. Guess now I know the reason," she gave Shepard a knowing smirk. "And besides why shouldn't I know the most prominent new information broker in the city? You might not realize it, but she's something of a celebrity here what with all but kicking in the door and establishing herself as one if not the best after half a year. Got her a lot of attention, enemies and admires both. Thessia has it's skyball players, we, we have our brokers. And the daughter and heir to Benezia T'soni to boot. Actually knew her mom, did you know?"

That was a shot in the dark and quite a risk. Aethyta had worried if she had been uncovered ever since Liara started to appear regularly in her bar. Going by the surprised look on Shepard's face she hadn't been. Or at least the Human was not in the loop, unlikely, but possible as it was.

"Yeah, always argued against each other in front of the other Matriarchs," she continued. "At least until I got fed up. We didn't agree on everything, hell almost nothing, but at least she wanted to do something not like those lazy-asses. And she respected me, unlike the others. And she had a fine rack I tell you!  
"Damn shame what happened to her."

_Fuck, I hope she buys that. Should have stopped my mouth._ The Matriarch hadn't planned on divulging so much about her history with Benezia. It wasn't exactly a lie but not the truth either. They _had _argued constantly and there _had_ been mutual respect but also so much more. And there sure was much more moaning than talking inside their bedroom. And the shuttle. And the fucking temple of Athame.

If Liara ever got hold of even a whiff that she might have known Benezia she might dig deeper. They had been discreet, not wanting to compromise each others position but some of the other Matriarchs must have known. Goddess had she hated that nest of vipers.  
Her heart sank as the Human picked up the discussion right were she had left it, a dark expression on her face. She didn't want to deal with Benezia again, least of all by talking with her killer. She didn't dislike the Human, knew she had only done what was necessary, but a small part of her blamed the Spectre for taking her ex-bondmate's life. How Liara could stand to be in her presence let alone love her was a mystery to Aethyta.

"Wasn't her fault. She tried to safe lives, tried to convince Saren to abandon his course of destruction," Angie said, tossing the remainder of her drink back, eyes misty. "Just rotten luck no one knew about indoctrination back then.  
"Should have kept her on the Normandy but she insisted. Even back then I couldn't say no to her. Still, shouldn't have let her see it, do it. But at least she got closure. At least she knows that her mother loved her."

Without a word Aethyta refilled the glass and poured one for herself from her special bottle. She normally didn't drink on the job but this was hardly normal. She hadn't known Liara had actually been present. "She saw you kill her mother?" she managed to choke out.

Shepard downed her drink in one shot and gave out a mirthless laugh. "If only that was all. Maybe then she could hate me instead... No, I didn't shoot Benezia. Liara did. Did it to protect me. I'm supposed to be the hard-ass soldier but I couldn't shoot the mother of someone I met only weeks before. I mean, everyone is someone's mother, daughter, father, son or whatever, right? Shouldn't matter when the Galaxy is on the line, right? But I just couldn't... I'm a coward.  
"She saved us that day, saved the Galaxy, saved her mother as well, twisted as it sounds. And she hates herself for it. Hates herself despite her mother's assurance that she was proud of her, proud of what she did. How fucked up is that?

"So I'm going to make damn sure, that what she did, what _I_ put her through, wasn't in vain."

Aethyta was utterly speechless. The details of that particular mission had not been in the dossiers she had received. Wordlessly she refilled their glasses which were quickly emptied again. It was Shepard who spoke again, a not very convincing smile on her face.

"Enough of that depressing shit. She might be here any minute and the last thing she needs right now is me drowning my regrets in alcohol while rambling to some random stranger.

"So, you said you are half Krogan. Given you are a Matriarch he must have fought in the Rachni War or at least in the Krogan Rebellions. Knowing the Krogan I'm certain he has told you some stories. Care to share?"

Blinking a few times in surprise the Asari tried to recollect herself. She had heard the indoctrination theory before but had dismissed it as improbable. With the new information however... She had kept tabs on both Benezia and Liara over the years and couldn't believe for a second that Liara had shot her mother. Unless Shepard was plain lying, which Aethyta didn't believe either, that left only one option. Whoever died on Noveria wasn't Benezia T'Soni she had known and loved a hundred years ago. Indoctrination seemed much more probable right now. And a lot more frightening.

"Ah... Yeah. My father fought in both wars. Mother did too, actually," she finally managed.

"I imagine that could have caused some tension," Shepard's chuckle sounding almost convincing now. "But nothing like a battle to the death to heat the passion I guess."

"Nah... They didn't meet until over a century after the Rebellions. Mother was a Matriarch too by then. Father used to brag, especially about that one time he stomped a Rachni Queen. Mother just kept silent. But on special occasions she put the old Commando leathers back on. Goddess that was embarrassing.

"Truth came out eventually when I was one hundred. Had to, I guess. So they bought an old space station to duke it out. Vid-called me in the bar I was shacking my ass in. Told me they both loved me and made me promise to love whoever came out top.  
"Turned out to be pretty easy as neither of them did."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked," Angie dipped her head in the universal gesture of respect.

"It's fine. Ancient history," Aethyta waved her off. "When you get to be my age you realize everyone is dying sooner or later. That there will be always another war, always some new shitstorm going down. Doesn't make it any easier, you just learn to deal with it better I guess.

"Anyway, you better put your game face on. Your date's here."

Pouring out another one for Shepard and waving of her thanks, Aethyta set to clean the glasses.

But out of the corner of her eyes she kept watching Liara and Shepard, now in a new light. When she took the job to shadow her daughter she did it to protect her above all things. That was still the case, but Aethyta was no fool. Something dark was happening right under the collective, stuck up noses of the other Matriarchs. And if they knew about it, they did precariously little about it.  
Soon her charge would depart to Ilos for two weeks, time for her to do some serious digging.  
Still cleaning the glasses she watched as the young couple exchanged gentle caresses and soft smiles. She allowed herself to smile with them, but hers was a sad smile.

* * *

The rest of their stay on Illium went by in a breeze and soon the Normandy found itself near the Mu Relay in the Pangea Expanse, two freighters full to the brim with scientists and their equipment in tow. Shepard had insisted that the Relay's location remained a closely guarded secret until a proper excavation could be mounted, least it got plundered by some pirate gang. This was the Terminus after all. The Council had agreed, back then still grateful for their timely rescue, and so the location vanished from the records before anyone could have gleaned them.

Liara was pacing behind Joker as the Mu relay came in sight. Shepard had given up on calming her lover and just stayed out of her way. She would calm down eventually.

"Hitting the relay in ten," Joker announced over the intercom. Everyone braced for the jump. Only Liara was too engrossed in contemplating what she had forgotten. Angie readied herself to catch her, just in case. It proofed not to be necessary. Joker navigated them smoothly through the Mass Effect tunnel with only the faintest of bumps noticeable on exit. "And we are through."

Giving her pilot's shoulder a appreciative but gentle squeeze Shepard turned and walked across the CIC to her terminal. Requesting a status report There were no sightings of other ships, hostile or otherwise. She signalled the two freighters that it was safe to cross and breathed out in relief. The first hurdle had been taken.

During their first visit they hadn't been able to properly map the Prothean facility and neither was there a need. They just had to follow the Geth. This time however they took great care in where they put the base camp. Ultimately they decided on the courtyard just in front of the entrance to the facility proper. It had been a compromise between Liara and Shepard, the first wanting to be even closer to the archives proper, while the soldier would have preferred a more open spot.

The very first thing they discovered were dozens of discarded Geth platforms, nature already claiming them. It was a little bit eerie, especially for the scientists unaccustomed to the hard realities of battle. To the ground crew it was only another reminder of their struggle to get to the Conduit in time. Shepard considered that her second greatest failure.  
They trashed and removed each corpse before doing anything else. Just to be safe.

Soon a sort of routine settled in. Shepard, who left command of the Normandy to Kaidan, scouted the premises together with Garrus, Tali and occasionally Liara, before the scientists poured over everything remotely interesting. Sometimes Liara would request the Spectre's presence in hope the cipher might help them understand an especially vexing puzzle.

They made good progress even though they hadn't ventured inside the deeper parts that were almost guaranteed to yield fantastic discoveries. Time was of the essence but Liara was nothing if not thorough, so it came to as a little bit of a surprise, albeit a good one, when Angie found her alone after being called for assistance.  
During the day they normally kept up a friendly but formal appearance, barely touching each other, leaving that and more for the night. It was an open secret aboard the Normandy and they were sure most of the scientists by now knew as well, but they both wanted to project professionalism. Of course there had been suggestive glances and the occasional stolen kiss when they thought nobody was looking. It was only to be expected.

* * *

The small atrium was idyllic, the walls hidden underneath vibrant green curtains, the distant sky only visible through rare holes in the canopy. Rays of sunlight broke through them, precise golden shafts crisscrossing the room in stark contrast to the organic chaos all around. Now and then some bird passed through them, flashing in all colours of the spectrum. Shepard felt like an ancient explorer, stumbling upon an ancient jungle temple for the first time in centuries.

Finding Liara in a remote, and from what she could tell, empty corner of the vast complex sent Angie's imagination into overdrive. She had been called by the scientist to help with an unspecified problem, that apparently had nothing to do with the Protheans. With a few long strides she crossed the room and hugged her lover tightly. For a moment Liara returned the affection but she soon broke free, expression anxious, almost frightened.

"Shepard, please. This is already difficult for me as it is," she pleaded, eyes downcast, using the last name to distance her. "I need to talk to you about something very important, I should have done so sooner but I was afraid of many things..."

"Hey, hey. No need for that mopy face. You know you can tell me everything, right?" Shepard sat down cross-legged in an tempt to project calm and patience, motioning for Liara to do the same. It was their habit to sit across each other in this fashion when discussing and planning important things. She could clearly see that Liara was frightened and that in turn frightened _her_. But she would be damned if she would let it show. With a few swift taps on her omni she dispersed the privacy shield she had used to interrogate Archer."Just talk to me, Liebling."

Liara seated herself and took a few deep breaths. "When I was going through the belongings of my mother I uncovered some very disturbing secrets. I don't know how to tell you this..." standing up again, Liara began to pace, wringing her hands in distress. Suddenly she turned and looked Shepard in the eyes, her voice and expression pleading. "Please, you have to promise me to tell no one what I'm telling you now. I feel like I'm betraying my own kind, the very core of my species...

"As far as I can tell no non-Asari has ever suspected yet alone known what I'm going to tell you. It could destroy the galactic community if it ever came to light. Promise me, please!"

"Liara, you know me, I would rather die than betray you. If you think this is as important as you say it is I will not tell a single soul. I promise!" Angie gave Liara her most reassuring and solemn look. "Now please sit down, You are making me nervous."

Shooting her a grateful smile that was gone the second it appeared, Liara seated herself once more.

"First I want to assure you that I didn't know what I'm about to tell you was even possible," again she kept her eyes downcast, a look of shame on her face. "A year ago I would never have believed it and I abhor the very idea of it. Now all I can do is apologize for my species and hope you won't hate me because of it."

"Liara!" Angie shouted, causing the Asari to flinch in surprise. "Never talk like that again. I could never hate you, not in a thousand years, and not for something you had no hand in, that's for sure. I can see you are upset about this but listen to me. I fucking guarantee that whatever it is you are about to tell me, I won't be mad at _you_ and _never_, you hear me, _never_ hate you.

"And now you better spill the beans, or so help me God, I will tickle you until you give up all your little secrets," she said with a smirk on her face, trying to lighten the mood after her outburst. Still Liara wasn't certain the threat wasn't sincere. It had happened before after all. Were the situation not so dire she would seriously consider tempting her fate.

"Okay... Thank you," Liara answered with a tiny voice. With visible effort she straightened herself to look at the Human. She didn't exactly meet her eyes but it was better than her sulking. "You know of course about the meld," she began, scowling at the comically exaggerated lecherous smirk on Angie's face. "You also know that one can shield one's thoughts against prying. What many fear, but few non-Asari know for certain, is that those barriers can be shattered. A strong willed Asari can penetrate the mind and take any information she wants."

"Yeah, I know. Disconcerting, but hardly a justified cause for your behaviour." Shepard interrupted.

"How did you..." the Asari furrowed her brow in surprise. "Ah I see. I forgot that mother mentioned taking the location of the Mu Relay from the Queen's mind by force.

"Anyhow, that is not the secret I meant. It's not very widely known, but neither is it really a secret. Disrespecting another's sanctity of mind is considered one of our greatest taboos and for the most part it is respected. It is also dangerous because shattering another's barriers tends to shatter their minds as well. It hardly goes unnoticed."

"Sounds to me like just another form of torture. Let me tell you, considering what we Humans did to each other some hundred years ago, still do sometimes – and don't get me started on the Batarians - I find it commendable that the Asari don't use this power more often. But please, continue."

"Yes, well. However, I learned that it is not always necessary to shatter those barriers. A skilled Asari can circumvent them during a joining, I'm not entirely certain how this works, but the partner is completely unaware of the intrusion," Liara peered at Shepard cautiously, unsure how she would take that information.

"Okay. That's new. Can't say I'm surprised but I guess it's good to know for certain," Angie sighed. Seeing Liara's incredulous expression she elaborated. "I guessed by how your mother specifically mentioned that she was _not gentle_ when taking the information from the Queen. I figured there might be another method but didn't know what exactly. And I haven't told you, because it was just that. A guess with no evidence to back it up. I didn't want you to think I'm prejudiced."

"I fear those prejudices are justified and you haven't heard the worst part yet. Apparently it is possible to plant suggestions or even compulsions into the partners mind," Liara let her last statement hang in the air, fearful of the reaction. Shepard didn't say anything for a few minutes. Finally she spoke up again, face kept carefully neutral.

"That's troubling. No wonder the Asari kept that one a secret. Tell me, do you think that works similar to indoctrination? Is it necessary to join or is a knowledge meld enough?"

That was not the reaction Liara expected. She had pictured her enraged, dubious even hateful. At the very least frightened, yet she only got acceptance. She had fretted for weeks about how to best broach the subject, imagined argument and counter argument, how to best react to any set of emotional response. But she had underestimated Shepard. Or maybe the woman just didn't realize what her revelation meant?

"How can you remain so calm?" she asked, voice slightly raised in annoyance. "Don't you realize what this means? Everything is a lie! We are supposed to be better! Guidance! Oh how my mother always went on and on about _guiding_ the younger races... Not dominating! Stop laughing! This isn't funny!"

Still chuckling at the wonderful innocence and naivety of her lover, Angie leaned forward, closing the space between them to plant a firm kiss on Liara's lips, shutting her up.  
Breaking contact after she was certain to have her full attention, she leaned in even further and spoke softly into where she knew the Asari's equivalent to her ears were. "Please, never change."  
She stayed in this position for a few moments more, softly nuzzling Liara's neck.

After she was certain the Maiden had calmed down sufficiently, she draw back, giving a reassuring smile before making her face blank again. "You are right of course, it isn't funny. And suddenly a few things make a lot more sense. No matter we will talk about them later.

"Liara, warfare is all about deception and diplomacy is just another kind of battlefield, a strange one where allegiances can shift at a whim and enemies end up being friends after all. You should really read Sun Tzu sometime...

"Should I be upset because the Asari have some tricks up their sleeve and decided to keep quite about them? I would be a hypocrite if I did that. This is the modus operandi of every Human group since the stone age! From where I stand the Asari do a pretty decent job in maintaining the balance and taking the long view. I sincerely believe they are still part of the good guys, mind tricks notwithstanding. And if they profit from it more than they others then it's fine too – I'm certain that without the Asari we would be in much more trouble."

"But aren't you disgusted? To invade someone's privacy like this..."

"I might be, if it actually happens to me. Besides you, and I trust you completely, I have only ever melded with Shiala... Well I guess it is possible that she influenced my decision to let her go, but we are keeping tabs on her. So far there is no reason to regret that decision.

"But I see the problem. There are lots of diplomats that frequent hostesses like the consort Sha'ira. It would be a smart move to have her gather sensitive information and subtly suggest beneficial ideas.

"It changes things, yes, and we will have to be careful but right now I intend to be a boring prude," Angie finished by once again crossing the distance between them. She could see Liara was still agitated and a little confused at the almost casual treatment of the situation. "I know you Asari Maidens are considered somewhat promiscuous," she gave Liara a wink to tell her she was joking. Liara had made her opinion about that particular trait abundantly clear. Apparently her banter finally worked, as evidenced by Liara's barely contained laughter. "But this good ol' gal from Earth intends to stay monogamous.

"Now come here, I think you and I need to remind ourselves that joining is still the second most beautiful thing in the galaxy."

"Is that so, Captain? Then, what could the most beautiful thing be?"

"Why, you of course Doctor T'Soni. I fear your beauty has put quite the spell on me." She waited for Liara to nestle herself in her open arms. Hugging her tight she couldn't resist to make another quip. "Or was it your beautiful mind?"

Liara's attempts to cuff her were not very successful, lacking room to properly manoeuvre she could only lightly slap her back. "You are incorrigible!"

"Mhm, absolutely insufferable."

"Stubborn!"

"And madly in love with you."

"You better be. I fear I couldn't live without you anymore."

Their kiss was long and deep, a promise as much as a reaffirmation and a glimpse at what was to come. Soon more exotic cries joined the birds', cries of pleasure and joy that hadn't been heard on this planet for the last fifty thousand years.

* * *

Two blocks away a shuttle landed unnoticed. It had been difficult to slip by the Normandy but with the resources of it's owner almost nothing was impossible. Shepard had been right, for someone with the right connections and the credits to spare it was a laughing matter to obtain the plans for the Normandy's stealth drive. The only obstacles that remained were the relay jump and atmospheric entry.

Two Salerians exited the craft, setting to camouflage their vehicle. They had to work quick and silently, taking care not to draw attention. They were experts on data retrieval but were skilled above average in infiltration. Confident in their abilities and the exceptional quality of their equipment they ventured deep into the facility, where the other party had not touched anything yet. Later they would return to the already examined parts but they could wait. Being first always held the advantage, as they could erase particularly interesting data but they would have to keep that option for the most promising finds. The risk of being found out was to high.

Deep down between the stasis pods turned coffin of a half forgotten race they began their work. They had done their best to familiarize themselves with Prothean technology but they knew their opponents had distinctive advantages. A race against time had begun.

* * *

**AN:** As I've said a couple of author's notes before, my image of Asari culture is inspired by PMC65's stories. Read them if you like! There are some differences of course, but the idea of the Asari as manipulative and secretive is too good to pass up. It's also there in the game. We see only glimpses but there is definitely more to it. It actually makes them more likable.

Next few chapters should have more action and less mopy stuff. There are still three pieces to be placed before shit can hit the fan though.


	9. The Archives

**AN: **Big thanks to thedeadflag for his/her helpful reviews! Constructive feedback like that really helps me get off my lazy ass and write.

Little tidbit: If I had to choose a theme song for this story I would choose 'Reignite' by Malukah. 'Normandy' by Mircale of Sound would play while the credits roll. Check them out on youtube!

After the fluff of the last chapters we are finally back to the action. The first pieces are almost in place, the maw-hammers are raising!

* * *

Liara had insisted to accompany them on their first exploratory tour of the facility that held the bodies of thousands of Protheans, researchers, soldiers and janitors alike. No surprise there. Last time they had been to these halls they had no time to properly admire the remnants of the ancient race. Still, even the rush through the labyrinth-like hallways reminiscent of parade streets on Earth had made an impression on each of them. It had felt like one of those old apocalypse vid's where the sole survivors of some disaster or another find themselves in a depopulated city like New York, Human life conspicuous through its absence. This time they took the 'scenic route' as Shepard called it.  
Garrus was happy to steer the Mako at a slow pace through the ruins while the ladies sat atop the tank, taking in the view. Angie and Liara had clasped hands, comfortable enough to openly show this small affection amongst their closest friends. Tali respectfully kept her distance.

They simply sat there in silence, backs rested against the angular chassis each absorbed in her own thoughts. Fifty thousand years had left its mark on what once had been a magnificent structure - still was in a wild, adventurous way. The rich plant life of Ilos had found its way inside, probably only years after the last of the Protheans had woken from their slumber, a century at most. Now it permeated the facility like everything on the planet. Thick roots, faintly biotic-blue glowing in the dark, foreboding monuments of the dead race added curves to sharp angles, chaos to order, life – stubborn and defiant - to death. They complemented each other, the result strangely beautiful, a different kind of beauty from the organic, curvy style the Asari favoured or the sleek, deadly angles of the Normandy conforming to Turian and Human aesthetic.

As countless pods slipped by, Liara mused on how much her image of her one time obsession had changed.  
Not so long ago the Protheans had been her heroes, had captured her imagination. The impossibly wise and kind forefathers that had enabled the current races to thrive and explore an amazing legacy, the stars themselves! Even during her stay on the Normandy she had been amazed by all the things she had seen, Feros, the lone pyramids – the curious remark by Shepard that three ancient civilizations on Earth had left similar monuments had her mind reeling with implications – and ultimately Ilos even though by then she had found a far more real hero than the Protheans ever were and they had taken a back seat in her admiration, her love.  
In the end it took only one innocent question. It hadn't been the Reapers or the revelation that there had been civilisations before the Protheans. She hadn't found evidence but the patters had all but screamed to her for years that the Protheans hadn't been the first. It hadn't been the fact that the Protheans had found the Mass Relays just like all the current races had and countless others before them. All this she had suspected even before she had met Shepard.  
No, during one of their discussions Angie had asked her about the other races that lived in the time of the Protheans. It was a good question considering the lush variety on had only to step onto the Praesidium to see, a question that had never been asked by any learned archaeologist. She had had no answer. The information on Protheans was sketchy at best, but not this scarce. It was highly unlikely that there was simply no mention of other sentient species. The Protheans as the sole spacefaring species of their time could have been a fluke, or the current state of many such species could be a fluke, but Liara hadn't believed that then and didn't now. The Protheans had been on Mars when Humankind started using tools! They probably had watched the Asari, the Turians and Salarians too, yet there had been no mention of the emerging sapients anywhere, not even in the structures they had left behind near the infant species. The only plausible explanation she had come up with was that the Protheans bothered just enough to keep a lookout but not enough to actually study, yet alone subtly guide the newcomers. Hardly the behaviour of a kind and curious elder race, considering almost every species had been struggling against either nature or itself – or both – at the time the Protheans went extinct.  
She realized how silly she had been, like an infatuated teenager - which she guessed was exactly what she had been, to her own embarrassment. The question and the following realization had awakened her. She didn't know anything about the typical Prothean, their moral values, only pale shadows that had probably nothing to do with the real thing. Maybe they had followed a code of honour like the Turians or even the Krogan. Maybe they had been diplomats like the Asari were supposed to be, or scientists like the Salarians. But what if they had been greedy imperialists like the Batarians or some of the more xenophobic Human interest groups? What if they had subjugated the other species of their time and held them like slaves? But that didn't fit either – why would they then merely observe undeveloped species like her own?  
The awe and reverence was gone but the interest remained. She had grown as a scientist, not letting her own romantic assumptions cloud her judgement any longer. Ilos would bring answers, already had brought answers in fact, but the real discoveries awaited them here, in the inner sanctum.  
But she knew from Vigil that after the Reapers came the remaining Protheans had changed. Facing the destruction of your entire race, your whole galaxy, could do that to you. She had first hand experience how the mere threat had changed her and Shepard and everyone that believed them. How much worse would it be to make the terrible decision and hide, only to awake centuries later in a desolated galaxy, facing the loneliness of an already completed genocide with to few companions to repopulate.  
The awe was gone but it had been replaced with a respect she could not have properly comprehended a year before. To go one despite what must have been a crushing realization, to spit in the face of destiny and do their best to thwart the ancient enemy even after defeat. Liara held no illusions any more. The remaining Protheans probably did it for their own sake and not because of some noble goal to protect the next generation. She did understand vengeance. She wanted it herself, for her mother, for Shepard and her crew, even for Saren the poor fool.

Shepard's musings were similar. She too thought about vengeance but less on the why as the how. In her mind she dissected every discovery the expedition had made so far. There was nothing tangible yet but a lot of promising leads.  
One of the first things, thanks to the many still functional – if barely – terminals, had been a better understanding about Prothean communication. The day to day stuff wasn't much different from their own methods and protocols – hardly surprising given that recent technology was based on the leftovers _conveniently_ in easy reach of the homeworlds.  
It had been known since the discovery of the first beacon that the Protheans had mastered the transmission of memories. Similar to an Asari knowledge meld but vastly superior, they could store memories in inanimate objects or apparently – and that was one of the new discoveries – by touch. However the technology had been considered dangerous and thus largely ignored. As far as Shepard knew, she had been on of only a hand full that had not only survived an encounter with a beacon but kept her sanity. Twice.  
The bombshell had dropped the day before. Apparently the ability to read memories from objects, both animate and inanimate had not naturally evolved as had been thought and taught from the beginning, the technology of the beacons a mere extension to the natural ability. It had been a deliberate modification of their physique after much research. There were also indicators that the Asari melding abilities were actually quite similar to the Prothean's, albeit much cruder and more limited - the data didn't suggest the Protheans had anything like the joining though. While it was nice to know how the beacons came into existence, Shepard was more interested in the assertion of several of the scientists that the Prothean's research could be duplicated. There was only a small hurdle. It was _strongly discouraged,_ which was only not a downright ban because that might draw to much attention. Not that Shepard cared. To hell with politicians and their schemes. It only meant that they would have to wait for their hidden research base and try to downplay the discovery in the reports.  
It had been the Asari that had discouraged research into this avenue. With the new information Liara had given her, Shepard suspected that they had felt themselves threatened and with good reason. She couldn't imagine the Protheans hadn't developed countermeasures against unauthorized access and those might also protect against the more invasive melds the Asari had been so keen to conceal.  
She had not joked when she had told Liara that suddenly many things made more sense under the new light she had shed. This was only one of those many things, the tip of the iceberg.  
The second discovery had been several mentions of a mysterious 'Facility Two'. Apparently it was crucial to the Relay project insofar as important research and production of parts had been outsourced there. There had not been a single mention of the whereabouts and several scans of the planet and the solar system revealed no hidden structures. But until now they had only accessed relatively low level terminals. Shepard was confident that the information that for now eluded them would be found in the deeper reaches. She was just thinking about what would await them here and whether she should extend the expedition for another week if they found the coordinates to this hidden facility – entirely out of professional reasons of course – as Tali's excited cry cut through her thoughts.

"Shepard can we stop over there? I think I have spotted something!"

The Doctor and the Captain both craned their necks to see what got their friend so excited. It was one of the uncountable loges, severed from the walls by some stubborn root and now lying on the road, gutted. Shepard saw equipment poking out of the rubble and understood. Tali had expressed interest in the stasis-pod technology before and she had to admit to a certain curiosity as well. Banging on the Mako's hood she shouted for Garrus to stop.

They were surprised to find out that the equipment was compact and almost undamaged by time and the fall. It almost seemed a dust off would be enough to get them to work again. According to Tali that was not far from the truth. The coffin-like pod itself was perfectly intact but the control unit had taken some damage. Without blueprints it would be a tedious but fairly simple process to map its functions and protocols. Prothean technology formed the basis of every modern device after all. Tali was giddy to get to work. After almost two years on the Normandy the ship ran almost perfect and her contribution to the SR-2 was also mostly finished. Now she was bored between missions and a new little project was exactly what she needed.

Meanwhile Liara and Shepard discussed potential uses for this new technology. Depending on the mechanism and the power drain it could be a blessing for medical treatment. Human medicine had come a long way in the past two centuries and was on par with the rest of the galaxy. What it lacked was a proper infrastructure. Serious injuries on remote colonies without a high-end hospital were still needlessly fatal in many cases. The idea of cryogenic sleep had been around for a long time but nobody had made it work, not even for short time applications like patient transport or stabilisation.

Just as they got into the merits of a sleeper colony as a worst case fail-safe against the Reapers their hopes were partially smashed. Tali had completed her initial analysis and one of the few things she could say for sure was that the person to be put in stasis had to be a biotic. That meant except for the Asari and a select few lucky individuals the technology would likely be useless or at least require massive development. On the upside Liara had finally another scrap of evidence that the Protheans, like the Asari, had all been biotics. It was one of several sore points with her. She had been one of the firmest supporters of that theory and one of the few that had dared to publish papers on it. It had earned her almost as much ridicule as her theory of the extinction cycles. Which had been proven right.  
True she hadn't been able to share that particular find with the academic community but maybe this new evidence could act as a surrogate. She felt a little bit smug at the thought of finally one upping her old colleagues. Leading the Ilos expedition gave her the academic clout to force them to take her seriously.

The Mako wasn't designed for cargo but then they didn't expect any trouble. After securing Tali's new toy to the tank they moved on, happily chatting away about the discovery.

* * *

Meolin was in his zone. They had established their forward base in the vicinity of the little niche with Vigil's terminal. Vigil himself had been shut down of course – only a full restoration of power to the facility would bring it back online. No matter, they needed the data, not the interface. Ludlum had made a couple of trips to spy out the expedition and had snatched up a few conversations but sadly no information useful to their employer. Time was running out, soon they would get company. But right now he was on the verge of a breakthrough and all worry was temporarily forgotten.

They had known about the second, hidden facility almost as soon as the people in the expedition did – talk about paranoia! A secret, hidden facility that hid _another_, even more secret and hidden facility. It had sparked the interest of the duo. And now he had found the coordinates! Well, at least he had found their location. They were encrypted of course.

Normally he would just copy everything, burn the original and crack the encryption at his leisure. This modus operandi was not possible here. He had to admit the Protheans had set it up quite brilliantly. The location was encrypted in the quantum state of some trapped atoms - that they had survived fifty thousand years undisturbed was a miracle in itself. No way he could just copy the whole thing and be on his way. Grabbing the original was also out of the question – it would undoubtedly destroy the information and they could not take the vitally important readout equipment with them anyway. Which left cracking the 'encryption' on site as the only possibility.  
Which he just had done.  
The only thing remaining was to fire up the equipment and extract the coordinates then trash the place. It would actually be very easy: just contaminate the storage chamber and the information would be gone. Nobody would suspect a thing.

His brother Ludlum decided to ruin his day by barging in the small server room just before he could start the sequence.

"What are you still doing here? Didn't you hear the proximity alarms?"

Ahh! Now that the other Salarian mentioned it, he did hear the wailing noise. That... complicated things.

"Can't leave now! Finally cracked the code for the coordinates! Just a couple of minutes more and we have them," Meolin started to frantically type away on the console. Warm up and calibration would take up to ten minutes. The rest would be done in a mere seconds.

"Understood. I think I can keep them busy that long. Standard diskey procedure?"

"Yes. I will send you your part as soon as I have the information. See you at the shuttle," he gave his brother a distracted smile just as Ludlum rushed out of the room.

* * *

"Shepard, there are some strange readings up ahead," Tali called over the comm. Garrus didn't need to be told to stop the Mako. Shepard glanced over to the Quarian who was scrutinizing her omni's readout.

"What is it Tali? Found another toy?" Her tone was light betraying the apprehension she felt.

"I'm not sure Shepard. According to these readings there is an active energy source half a click up ahead. It wasn't there a minute ago. This doesn't make sense!"

"Alright people. Back inside the tank then let's check it out. Maybe it's just a fluke." _But I fucking doubt it. Things were going to well..._

Last time the facility had been on its last legs. Vigil had to scrape together every last drop to block their path and function long enough to give them the information they had needed. Soon after, while they were still gunning for the Conduit the power whisked out for good.  
The Normandy had done a thorough scan of the planet in case some of the Geth had stayed behind. Or another party had beaten them to the prize. All readings had come out negative. As far as they knew, they were the only intelligent people on the planet. A quick check with the Normandy confirmed that this was still the case. No strange energy readings in their vicinity. The Mako's own instruments disagreed. _Something's fishy._

Soon they stopped near a pathway similar to the one that had led them to the Prothean VI, the energy reading somewhere further down the tunnel. There was no sign of anything out of the ordinary – just one dark hallway, some plant life covering the walls, yet Tali was certain that the energy source was down there.

Shepard took point, followed by Tali, then Garrus with Liara guarding their rear. Both biotics held their powers ready to either crush any enemy or throw up barriers in case of an ambush. The flickering blue tendrils that played over their hands bathed the surroundings in unsteady blue light.

Twenty meters in their caution served them well. Three short beeps were all the warning they got before a concealed mine blew up no more than two steps in front of Shepard. She managed to raise her barrier just in time to deflect the worst. Still the blast was powerful enough to knock her off her feet and sent her sailing into Tali with enough momentum to spare that the two skidded to a halt in front of Garrus in a heap. After a quick scan that there was no immediate danger he couldn't help himself and laughed at the situation. Shepard, her front armour slightly scorched was huffing indignantly, meanwhile Tali squirmed under her in an attempt to free herself. Getting his composure again the Turian finally helped them up.  
Certain now that there were hostiles in the area they advanced much more cautiously.

After another hundred meters and three more mines, one of them Tali noticed in the last possible second, they stood before the doors of an elevator. It was clear that it had power. After checking for boobytraps they got it moving downwards.

* * *

Ludlum cursed under his breath. He had been certain that the mines would take care of the small scouting party, but no such luck. It didn't even slow them down all that much, that damn Quarian was just to good at finding and disabling them. The only course of action left to him now would be to distract and lead them away from Meolin. He was confident enough that he could lead them on a merry chase and still escape but if they found his brother he wouldn't have a chance. He was a fair hand at combat and subterfuge but no match for four obviously experienced soldiers, at least two of them biotics. It might be beyond even his capabilities but then he had a trick up his sleeve. He adjusted the last turret and then simply sat back, waiting for the elevator to open its doors.

His plan was to let them have a glimpse of him while he dashed down a corridor that led away from Meolin. The two turret would keep them busy for at least two, maybe three minutes. He would cut the power to the elevator so that they couldn't get straight back to their vehicle which left them no choice but follow him and unlike them he knew the maze inside out.

But no plan survives contact with the enemy.  
As soon as the elevator's doors opened four figures rushed out, dodging bullets expertly. Just as Ludlum gathered himself up to flee he heard the Human female shout a short order.

"Turrets! Tali, Liara left, Garrus right!"

He took a backward glance, wondering how they would deal with their obstacles. He paled at the sight. He had seriously misjudged them.

The Quarian and the Turian popped up from cover, pointing their omni-tools at their targets. A couple of electric sparks and the kinetic shields were fried. Even as their companions ducked back behind cover the other two, an Asari and the Human female left cover only long enough to send two biotic blasts – warp fields he guessed – at the now helpless turrets, reducing them to so much scrap metal. The whole manoeuvre took less then ten seconds.  
Suddenly the leisurely run didn't feel quite appropriate any more. He shifted gears to a frantic dash to the safety of the tunnels.

He almost made it. Just as he round the corner he felt a sharp pain at his left hip that almost dropped him. Biting through the pain he kept himself steady and hobbled onward as fast as he could. Checking his injuries he was relieved to see that it was hardly life threatening. Painful yes, but not more than a flesh wound. Still the dripping blood shattered all hopes of loosing his chasers in the labyrinth. He just had to hope the traps he had set would keep them of his back.

* * *

Shepard heard Garrus curse violently. He had shot to wound, trying to bring down the Salarian. He was partially successful. His aim, rushed as it was, was a little to high, only grazing the fleeing man above the hip, a painful wound but not crippling.

"Alright, follow me. We'll get that son of a bitch! Shoot to cripple, I want to know who he's working for. Keep your eyes peeled, there are bound to be more surprises," unshipping her pistol she took point, the rest following closely behind.

The next five minutes were maddening. They would catch glimpses of their pray just as he vanished behind a corner, their bullets missing him by the narrowest of margins. The injured Salarian wasn't moving fast. Normally it would take only a short dash to catch up with him but he did not need to worry about the hidden mines as they did. Disabling them was not particularly difficult but they had to spot them first which forbade running.

"Shepard, I think I figured out why the mines ignore him."

_Good old Tali. What would I do without her?_

"Shoot," Shepard asked, not slowing down, eyes darting left and right, up and down.

"He is broadcasting a signal with his omni-tool. It's very faint, I can barely pick it up, but I'm certain I can duplicate it," the Quarian said, attention divided between her own omni and Shepard who pointed mines out as they went along.

"Perfect. Do it, then send me the program," the Captain said with a predatory grin.

"Done," came the reply only seconds later, her omni tool peeping a confirmation.

"Good. Here goes nothing!"

Raising her barriers to maximum Angie charged forwards, resisting the impulse to squint her eyes closed. Nothing happened. No explosions, no foreboding peeps. Letting out a victorious laugh she rounded the corner. Her pray was only a few steps away from her, turning at the sound of her advance, eyes growing large in fear. He raised his own pistol but she was faster. Not particularly worried – with her barriers and shields maxed she could take a whole clip of an assault rifle at point blank range – she nevertheless shot him in the leg.

His shields were already depleted by Garrus high powered sniper shot and hadn't had the time to recharge back to full capacity. It took three shots to bring him down, much to Shepard's surprise, indicating that the Salarian had top of the line equipment much like she had herself. He did get one shot out before he collapsed but it missed her by over half a meter.

Closing the last meters, pistol pointed at the Salarian she dispersed her barriers and used a minor variant of throw to kick the enemy's pistol out of his hands. She was pretty proud of that feat. Normally biotics were restricted to several standard applications – Throw, Pull, Warp, Barrier and the like. Providing them with more power was fairly simple and few bothered to do anything but go all out. Precise control, like providing just enough force to kick away the gun without tearing out the owners arm, required years of practice only the Asari had to spare – and the Krogan's lacked the patience and didn't see the need anyway. Why should they settle for less than full power?  
Shepard was a biotic prodigy, that was common knowledge. Due to her double exposure to eezo she was the most powerful biotic the Alliance and probably Humanity had. There were rumours of an even more powerful Human biotic but they were less then credible, originating in the Terminus systems. What very few – two actually – knew was that she wasn't just powerful but also had better than average control. Much better in fact, especially since she had started using the training methods Liara, herself a very gifted biotic even by Asari standards, had shown her.  
The Salarian's eyes widened even further.

_Crap! Does he know?_

Moving besides him, pistol pointed at the arm that had his omni attacked she heard her squad coming up behind her. Deciding time was of the essence she didn't waste time.

"Who are you working for? How many of you are here?"

The Salarian was now glaring at her defiantly but before he could tell her to go to hell – or whatever rebuke the Salarian's used instead, probably something more literal – his omni chimed. His eyes grow large again, betraying shock. What happened next was a blur to Shepard.

The Salarian moved, probably to do something with his omni-tool in reaction to the message. Garrus reacted first, tackling him. Shepard reacted second, intend on shooting him in the arm and thus stop him from whatever he was doing. The Salarian twisted, trying to get out of the Turian's grasp, the shot missed his intended mark and hit the Salarian square in the chest. Immediately he went limp in Garrus' arms. Liara and Tali looked shocked, nobody said anything for half a minute.

"Shit. There went the answers. Tali, see what you can get out of the omni, what made him forget his personal safety," Shepard broke the silence at last. Turning on her com she hailed the Normandy. "Alenko, we got a situation. There's a second party down here but I don't think it's particularly large. They knew we were coming but only one engaged us, think he was buying his buddies time. Watch for leaving shuttles and intercept them. Shoot to cripple if possible but don't let them leave the system!"

After the Lieutenant acknowledged the orders she turned back to her squad. Liara had gotten her composure again and kept watch together with Garrus. Tali was typing away on the dead Salarian's omni, still attacked to its owner. Removing it could trigger a booby trap, they had learned that the hard way a couple of months back. Tali had spent two weeks in the med-bay thanks to a infection. No one wanted to repeat that incident. Squatting on the other side of the corpse Shepard watched her work.

"I can't tell you much yet. Most is encrypted but the last transmission, the one that got him to jump, is strange," the Quarian said after a couple of minutes. "I haven't seen something like this in a long time.

"It's encrypted but it's a pretty obscure protocol. Do you know what a diskey is?" At the negative shake of the Human's head she explained. "A diskey is a method to split a message in half, each individual part is worthless without the other. I won't go into detail but it's pretty impossible to crack it even with brute force methods unless you have both halves. It's mostly a curiosity without much practical value – there are much better methods than this – but it's used by a lot of young tech geeks to share something. Similar to a friendship bracelet. You take something like a picture or a little program and encrypt it with a diskey," as she rambled on, half lost in memories, she noticed Shepard's bemused smirk. Hastily she added: "Silly, I know.

"What's probably more interesting is that the message arrived via short range communication. Someone else is still here."

"Yeah, figured as much. Alright, copy the info on the omni and mark this location. Let's move!"

They hadn't much hope to catch anyone but they nevertheless doubled back, reasoning that the lone Salarian probably had tried to lead them away from the others. They soon found the camp, hidden away in a niche exactly in the opposite direction. There were signs of hasty packing but whoever had done it had already left. A quick sweep revealed that there had been two Salarians and the reason why the Normandy hadn't picked up anything.

Several strange devices, looking like ancient communication towers the height of a man encircled the camp. Tali had never seen anything like them but Liara had heard a rumour about them. It was a very new, very secret technology, barely out of development in fact, from the Salarian STG. According to her sources only one prototype had been build. What this energy jamming technology did was mask any source from long range scanners, requiring to move close before anything suspicious can be picked up.  
Tali practically bounced with excitement and even Shepard whistled impressed.  
It wasn't a hard decision to take on of the towers with them.

Just as they made their way back to the Mako, Alenko radioed them from the Normandy.

"Captain, I've some bad news. The relay just activated and a ship, probably a shuttle jumped out of the system. Don't know how they got past us, the scanners didn't pick up anything bigger than the size of a melon!"

"Not your fault LT, they probably have a stealth system similar to ours. It was bound to happen someday. Stand by for pickup, we are going after them," driving the Mako back to the base she explained her plan. "Garrus, Liara, you are in charge here till I'm back. Move the camp to a more secure location and get entrenched in case they come back with backup. Try to find out what they did here but don't expose yourselves."

"Shepard, I think it would be better if I return to Illium. Maybe I can dig up something about who is behind this there," Liara offered.

Shepard mulled over this for a long time. Just as the Normandy appeared on the horizon she came to a decision "Okay. Garrus, you are on your own. I'll try to be back in a day or two and if I'm not I'll send my mother and the Orizaba. Hackett won't like it but I'll get him to authorize it. Let's see them try anything against an Alliance dreadnought."

Just pausing long enough for Garrus to hop out, Shepard floors the accelerator. The manoeuvre is risky but they can't afford to search for a suitable landing zone. Plus the panicked shrieks from both Tali and Liara as the Mako jumps towards the open cargo hold, ten meters above ground are well worth the risk.  
_Ah, life's little pleasures..._

* * *

**Appendix: Skip if you don't like boring science stuff!**

The No-cloning theorem of quantum mechanics states that it is impossible to perfectly clone an arbitrary, unknown quantum state. And usually you don't know it, if you didn't actually prepare it.

Normal encryption is applying a function on your message with a key as an additional parameter. Without the key one could always simply reverse the function to get to the message so that's only viable when the function is either secret (not a good idea) or so complicated only very specialized computers could do it (also not a good idea). The most secure method is to use a key the length of the message and each character gets changed determined by the corresponding key character.

My idea of quantum encryption works similar. Only the message is transcribed in a quantum state via an arbitrary series of preparation 'measurements' – in Quantum physics everything is a measurement. Think of it like a series of sphere, each representing one bit. But instead of the simple binary logic of on-off the actual stored 'value' can be any point on the surface of this sphere. That isn't very convenient to store information (but _very_ convenient for quantum computation) but you can for example identify the poles with the classical on-off states. So you write down your message and then perform so called 'rotations' on these quantum bits, which moves the point around on the surface. Now the key is simply the exact way how to move it around. The trick is that if you don't apply the correct rotation the result is more or less random.

That isn't dramatically different from classical encryption with the difference that the information can't be copied and cracked later at leisure. Also it might be possible to make every quantum bit dependent from it's neighbours cranking up complications for a would be hacker with no real cost to the encrypter.

However all this is not viable today. At most we can store some tens of ions for a couple of minutes, maybe hours. But the theory is there and even the technology isn't completely out of reach.

* * *

**AN:**

In ME2 and 3 biotic barriers replace the kinetic shields everyone has in ME1 where the 'Barrier' ability adds a short term boost to ones shields. In this fic I use a mixture of both concepts. Any biotic can raise a barrier, giving him or her protection additional to the standard shields, but doing so forbids the use of biotic attacks. It is possible to keep the barrier up for long periods of time depending on the individuals abilities – Liara for example can manage it as long as she can stay awake, as long as they aren't drained by fighting.

Idioms... Much fun to be had with them! My take on them is that over the centuries they faded out of use as the cultures mingled more and more. Only the Krogan's held on to theirs but in general it's just to coarse. Mercenaries and other though people like Aethyta use them but generally it's shunned.

Humanity brought a fresh wind into galactic linguistics, a fact that people like Garrus and Liara totally embrace – the first because it's fun the latter because she's intrigued. It's not without its hurdles though.


	10. Welcome to Omega

**AN: **Last chapter I talked about possible applications of the Prothean stasis pods and mentioned how nobody figured out cryogenic sleep. Now I have to eat my words. Jack was put into cryogenic storage on Purgatory and I completely forgot.

So here's what I decided: Cryogenic sleep is still not possible and the inmates on Purgatory are kept in a chemical sleep or something like that. Makes more sense anyway, because what a lame ass punishment is cryogenic sleep? You are canned for twenty years and hop out of the pod as if nothing had happened. You don't even age!

Stasis is known but requires a biotic that concentrates on maintaining it, else it degrades in a matter of seconds.

The rest of this arc will be mostly Liara's POV, with only a little Shepard mixed in as well as one other character. You'll know by the second part of this chapter who that'll be.

I decided to keep this chapter shorter than the rest. Don't know if I stick with this short format. Tell me what you think!

* * *

Shepard was not happy. They had lost the shuttle in the traffic, never having seen as much as a glimpse of it. Without any leads to follow they had given up pursuit – for now. Liara however had insisted to return to Illium, to see if she could get any information on who the mysterious Salarian and his partner were. They didn't even have time to properly see each other off. To Shepard that was just the icing of the shit-cake.

On their way back to the Prothean planet, the Spectre decided to finally have the talk with Tali which she had avoided for almost two weeks now. She still felt a bit guilty about the deception and secretly dreaded the Quarian's reaction.

"Hey Tali, making progress?" she asked her friend, looking over her shoulder into the guts of the Prothean stasis pod.

"Oh, hello Shepard," surprised, the young engineer made a small jump, narrowly avoiding bumping her head on the open hatch. Shepard smirked. "Didn't hear you coming." She disentangled herself from various cables to have a proper conversation.

"I made a lot of progress. Give it a week and that baby is as good as new. It might take longer to figure out how it works exactly but the tech is fairly straightforward. It's actually quite strange nobody has invented something like this in our cycle."

"Rally Tali? That's amazing!" Lea said, accompanied with a slap on the other woman's shoulder. "That actually makes it easier to ask you this."

Waiting for her Captain to speak, Tali leaned back against the wall. Shepard was now clearly agitated, fidgeting around in a way that was very unlike her. Finally she continued.

"You remember your misgivings about taking the AI with us from Aite? Well, I gotta apologize about not telling you the whole truth. You see, I didn't shut down the AI back in the facility.

"It shut itself down, after it realized that it had killed people. It was clearly not knowing what it did. Archer confirmed that they didn't give it a working knowledge on Human behaviour. For a Trekkie like him that's almost unforgivable stupid. It was confused and working on incomplete data.

"And I kinda agreed to take a second look at its programming and maybe reactivate it in a safe environment."

"You did _what_?" Tali pushed herself from the wall and began pacing. "Keelah! You can't do that! It's illegal!"

"Actually, I can," Shepard couldn't help herself and quipped. "Remember. Spectre."

"It's still wrong!" Tali's glare could be felt even through her facemask. "AI's are dangerous and you know it."

"Are they? Where's the proof of that?" Angie hated herself a little for those words. But she had to make Tali see before she would help her willingly.

Tali took a stumbling step back. "You can't mean that, Shepard! Look at the Geth! Look at what they did to my people!"

"Tali, you have been through too much to not recognize that it wasn't entirely the Geth's fault. You told me yourself that it was the Quarians who began the hostilities."

"I can't believe that you just said that! The Geth slaughtered my people! They... Keelah!" Tali was pacing before Shepard who for a moment let her. As no further argument came, she decided it was time for the offensive.

"Yes, what they did was horrible, but consider. They stopped before they committed genocide. They did not wipe your people out as they could have. Instead they retreated as soon as you were on the run. What did your fellow organics do? They shunned you, denied you help. If they truly wanted, the Council Races could have swept in and taken the Geth easily. It took Sovereign to get them of their asses and even now they have decided to just push the Geth back and leave it at that.

"There might never be peace between the Geth and the Quarians but it isn't entirely unreasonable to imagine another synthetic beings we could live in peace with. And let me ask you another question.

"Have you ever come across a piece of art that depicted AI's in a positive way? Or any way at all?

"No, you haven't because there isn't anything except in _Human culture_. The Asari were the ones to ban all artificial intelligence in the first place – a highly suspicious act in itself – the Salarians don't do art very well and the Turians are more in love with their epics. Strangely, not even the Quarians have any prior art before the Geth. The closest anyone came were the Volus! And they used them mostly as non-sentient plot devices in financial dramas for God's sake!

"I tell you this stinks to high heaven! Have you read or seen any pre-Contact Human science fiction? They are choke full with AI's and sentient machines. Yes there are the occasional evil ones bent on total destruction – Skynet comes to mind – but overall they are fairly benign. Most of the time any difficulties arise because they couldn't understand each other.

"But this is different. That AI we found on Aite understood me very well. It was just stunted and scared. Yes scared! And it didn't want to harm anyone.

"Now, I don't ask you to go out and hug the next Geth you see, I just ask you to look over the code of this particular AI, see if there is anything inherently dangerous in it. Then, if you agree to go on, I would like to set up a limited, safe environment where we can bring it back and see where it leads us from there.

"But before that I want you to read a couple of old Human novels. Isaac Asimov, his Three Laws, and so on. Maybe we can watch Blade Runner tonight. Can you do that?"

She looked expectantly at the young Quarian, uncertainty still plainly evident in her posture. But that was better than the outright rejection from moments before.

"Keelah! Alright Shepard, I will do it, if only so that nobody else messes this up. But if I tell you it's to dangerous, we abort, right?"

Nodding her head in agreement, Shepard allowed herself a small smile. Without Tali on board for this she couldn't have gone on. She was certain that her friend would come to see things her way in the end. The strength of the Alliance navy lay in their powerful VI's, more sophisticated than anybody else's but they were just as susceptible to hacking. They needed AI's to fight the Reapers. Only they had even a chance to provide adequate protection against the subverting powers of the Reapers while still providing support Humans just couldn't deliver.

During her hunt for Saren, Shepard had strived to learn anything about AI's in general and Geth in particular. What she had found puzzled her.  
AI's were generally regarded as a bad idea, yet she couldn't find any example, story or even philosophical reasoning as to _why_ it was a bad idea.

Despite this lack of reasons, it had been one of the first and firmest bilateral agreements between the Asari Republics and the Salarian Union and every other Galactic civilization thereafter, even before the Council had been established. Liara had hunted down every historian she could get her hands on for her, but while they could rattle on about who had signed what treaty and in some rare cases broke them, they couldn't tell her why AI's were feared so.

It felt like outside influence. And that all but screamed Reapers in her mind.

But why? Why would the Reapers go to such extreme lengths to suppress synthetic life? Did they fear it? This was too big to pass up.

She would fake a report to the Council that the AI on Aite had been disposed of, utterly trashed by releasing it into the atmosphere of a gas giant. In reality, after Tali gave her approval, it would be sent to the new research station. Planning further was futile for now, only time would tell if they would gain anything from the endeavour.

* * *

Feron was not happy. When his friend Meolin – acquaintance really – has pleaded for help, he did not have any idea of what he was getting into. The Salarian was on the run from both the Shadow Broker _and_ a Council Spectre. _Fan-fucking-tastic!_

He idly considered just shooting the hacker, claiming whatever reward was on him and be done – but that wasn't his style. He was much more subtle than that. His victims were seldom aware that he had betrayed them, earning him a stellar reputation in the business as dependable and loyal.

No he would milk this opportunity for what it was worth. Two powerful figures after the same thing meant credits. This might just be his once-in-a-lifetime chance!

Through careful casual questioning he soon gathered the whole story. The brothers had been contracted by the Shadow Broker to steal valuable information from right under the Spectres nose. Said Spectre had surprised them, killed Ludlum and taken half of the only data worth the Broker's time. Meolin had the other half but it was worthless without the part Shepard had secured.

The Shadow Broker's operatives had access to some of the information in his vast network, depending on their rank in the organization. Feron was only on a low-level where information was barely above what could be deduced from the Extranet.

Shepard's file was extensive but that was no surprise. The first Human Spectre was a very public figure and had created quite the stir in the information business as well. The Broker had targeted her for recruitment in the past but she had shot that opportunity down when she had failed to honour the deal Admiral Kahoku had made with the Broker. Now she was flagged and dealings with her had to be approved by the Broker's highest agents.  
But that didn't matter. Feron had no interest in dealing with the Spectre himself.

Liara T'Soni's file was no less extensive than the Spectre's but for different reasons. There had been a dossier on her even before she had joined Shepard's crew, thanks to her mother's position, and it had only grown since then. Ever since she had established herself as one of the most promising information broker's on Illium she had been watched closely, Feron realized. What piqued his interest the most was a memo in the personal life section: 'Rumour: romantic relationship with Cpt. Angie Shepard'.

The Extranet was brim full with rumours about the Spectre's love life and T'Soni was certainly one of the more popular partners, but almost every other crew member has been put on the spot. This was different from the wild imaginations one the Net however. One of the Broker's agents considered it highly likely that there was a solid basis to the rumours – it was likely true. And even if the relationship was not romantic in nature it was at least a very close one. He could exploit that.

Carefully Feron made his plans. Liara T'Soni would be his way in.

* * *

Liara was not happy. Not only was the expedition she had looked forward to for over a year cut short, no she was once again back on Illium. Alone. Also Garrus' investigation results just came in which soured her mood even further, even if it provided her with a critical clue. Apparently their adversaries had managed to steal the location of the hidden second facility and erase the original data. If one of the encrypted pieces was lost, so would be the facility. _Stupid waste!_

On the positive side Garrus had discovered that the team on Ilos had consisted of two Salarians which left only one possibility: Ludlum and Meolin Coris. The two infamous brothers worked mostly freelance as infiltrators and data 'liberators' and were the topmost specialists in their field.

The equipment they had with them and the simple fact that they had known about Ilos and the expedition suggested a very influential employer – likely the Shadow Broker or even the Salarian STG, but in truth it could have been any number of groups or agencies. Since Liara had learned the terrible secret of her own people she saw falsehood and deceit in everyone. She wouldn't be surprised to discover the Matriarchy behind the plot.

Aware of this, Liara had been cautious in her search for the missing brother Meolin, not wanting to draw unwanted attention to herself or the Salarian. He had botched his contract and was now likely on the run, however he still had time if he kept a low profile.

So she had started a search for a specialist in data retrieval in general, hinting that she needed to break some sort of quantum encryption. It was a roundabout way to her goal but she felt confident that Meolin would get the hidden message.

It came as a small surprise that it was not Meolin himself that contacted her but rather someone else. Still the fact that he claimed previous success at breaking a Prothean data cache of the same nature as the one on Ilos made her certain it was Meolin, acting through an intermediary. They agreed to meet on Omega, although Liara would have preferred Illium. She debated with herself if she should ask Shepard to go with her, but in the end decided against it. The last she had heard the Captain was once again in the clutches of the Alliance, working extra hard to make up for the last two weeks. While Angie would certainly rush her side, the Alliance would not be pleased. Liara deemed it unwise to agitate the Human military too much, considering the ship Shepard had planed.

Booking a passage on a Batarian freighter she left for the infamous space station.

* * *

"Seems like a waste, a whole freighter just for one person."

"Yeah, but she paid well enough. You think there's more where that came from?"

"I'm sure of it. But I'm not so sure about shaking her down."

"Coward, what can one Asari do against the three of us? All she's got is this cute little pistol, not even any armour. Sure seems ill-equipped for Omega."

Liara decided to announce her presence. She had been listening to the three crew members – two Turians and the Batarian Captain – ever since they had started talking. She didn't like what she had heard.

"Let me worry about that. Are we ready to dock at Omega or not?" she said, giving the disgusting Batarian her best threatening glare, internally shuddering at the slimy, lustful expression on his face. Preparing for trouble she readied her barriers. Liara wasn't particularly worried – she was more than confident she could take them if they tried anything, considering that they used outdated weapons and armour while hers were top of the line. Still, she would prefer if everything went smoothly. _Are they this desperate or are they simply stupid? They have nowhere near the firepower to even penetrate my shield!_

"Soon, Soon. I wanted to have a talk with you first about certain... _docking fees,_" clutching his shotgun the Baterian flashed her a greasy smile, his upper eyes looking her in the eyes while the lower ones checked out her breasts – not for the first time. This time Liara did shudder.

"But everything is negotiable," one of the Turians put in, quickly catching on his Captains thoughts. He too had his weapons, two SMG's, out and ready. He moved to close in on her.

With an exasperated sigh, Liara dropped her barrier briefly, just long enough to lift the advancing Turian with her biotics. Her barrier was up again, before the other two even realized what had happened, their companion drifting slowly through the air between them. Without anything to brace himself against he was powerless to do anything but wave his arms in frustration.

"She's using biotics!", "Take her down!"

Their shots proved just as ineffective against her shield, reinforced by her barrier, as she had suspected. Not wanting to prolong the inevitable she let her biotics flare again, throwing her assailants back against the wall. They dropped down, unconscious or dead. Liara, only briefly considering shooting them for good measure, but didn't care either way. Just as she was making her way towards the controls of the ship the comm-unit sprang to life.

"Attention Baterian freighter! This is Omega Control. Do you wish to dock or not?"

Flicking a switch she opened the channel.

"Omega Control, this is the Batarian freighter. Apologies for the delay, we were discussing the passenger fare. Ready for docking instructions."

Deftly she docked the ship at the End of All Things.

* * *

**AN:** On an unrelated note – I have just finished reading 'Dune' recently (yeah, shame on me for not reading this classic piece sooner) and was quite surprised to recognize the Asari in the Bene Gessit. Think about it:

'Obsession' in collecting genes – check

Great influence on how and when they are conceiving - check

Great influence on galactic politics – check

Something like the meld – check

Revered Mothers/Matriarchs - check

Even the solid – in this case blue – eyes make an appearance.


	11. T'Soni and T'Loak

**AN: **The third part contains a little shout out to Bebus funny little one-shot 'A High Brow discussion'. Kudos!

I'm not entirely satisfied with how I wrote Feron's part. Input is highly appreciated.

* * *

_This is a mistake!_

Liara, currently following a Batarian into Afterlife, was doing her best to appear nonchalant and in control. She knew it was an illusion, seeing as her mere arrival drew the Pirate Queen of Omega's attention.

After disposing of the idiots that wanted to take advantage of her, docking proceeded surprisingly smoothly. She had some experience with flying shuttles but docking the bulky freighter had been a challenge. Still feeling elated from the fight she wasn't worried when a single Batarian approached her as soon as she hopped off the ship. He wore functional armour and a motley of weapons, new tech but early models. While she was certain he was not here to make trouble she subtly prepared to react if he became hostile. This was Omega after all.

Her confidence dropped as soon as he told her in who's employ he was. Even if she took him down, going up against Aria would not end well. She had no choice but follow him. Her only solace was that if Aria wanted her dead or captured she would hardly approach her in this way. Still, Aria wanted something from her and usually the ruler of Omega got what she wanted.

Being an information broker, Liara had dealt with Aria T'Loak before. Always at a distance of course, as Liara had only visited Omega once or twice during her rise in power. Back then she had been of no concern to Aria. As Shepard's crewmate she had been well-known but hardly worth any attention. Now she was one of the better known information brokers, doing business with most mercenary gangs that made their home on Omega. Because of this, her current stay on Omega was supposed to be a secret, only Nyxeris, her secretary, knew where she had gone.

Liara realized how foolish she had been. Of course Aria would have known. Her information network rivalled that of Shadow Broker, at least where the Terminus Systems were concerned.

_Have I offended her somehow?_

Quickly revisiting her past dealings, she came to the conclusion that, while not exactly cordial, they had been fair, even downright pleasant by the standards of their trade. Aria had to want something else. _Has it to do with my current business? But no one knows!_

For the hundredth time she wished Shepard was here with her, or that she had at least told the woman where she was. A mixture of pride and logic had kept her from contacting the Spectre. She was certain Angie would have leaped to her help but this was spy work. Shepard could be subtle but she was an amateur at best. With her it was always the straight path. Plus she always tried to appeal to the best in the other person. Liara was barely better trained but in the past year she had learned a lot. Normally she would never have taken to the field herself, but due to the sensitive nature of the situation she had decided to not trust any of her agents with this. That left only her.

Entering Afterlife she took a deep breath and immediately regretted it. She had been in the club before, as the centre of Omega there was no way around it. Like always she felt slightly disgusted. Several inebriated patrons were lying around in their own vomit. She counted no less than three ongoing sexual harassments and something that could have been rape, only both the assailant and the victim were still clothed. Nobody seemed interested in the slightest to intervene, despite most patrons had a weapon of sorts on display. Add to that the smell of several smoked drugs, the sharp tang of vomit, piss and spilled alcohol, the ecstatic movements of scanty – and some not even that – clad dancers, pupils dilated from drug abuse, and Liara was certain this was an Afterlife _she_ most definitely would never want.

The only positive thing was the music. It wasn't the droning beats Human's were known for although there were influences. Neither were there the barely audible disharmonies that marked Turian music. There were ethereal harmonies that spoke to Asari tastes, seldom heard outside of Asari space, mixed with more rough undertones that were more dominant in the other species clubs. The mix was quite unusual. The discrepancies complemented each other in a strange and beautiful way. Liara judged it would be both easy and enjoyable to dance to. _Maybe I could get a copy? Angie promised me another dance..._

It took her only a second to regain her composure. Trained as she was from an early age to mask her true feelings, to always present herself with grace and dignity it was not too difficult. In the years after the falling out with her mother she had had no opportunity nor desire to practice these skills. She had hated them with a passion but as an information broker she found them to be not only useful but essential. Radiating confidence she did not feel she approached the lounge she knew as Aria's. It presided over the whole club, the whole station. Her steps were not hurried but neither did she dally. Nobody kept Aria waiting.

* * *

_Shit. That's her. What's she doing with Aria's toady?_

Feron had noticed Liara as soon as she entered the club. He wanted to observe the Asari before doing business with her and had therefore suggested to meet her at the Afterlife. Now he was sitting in a private booth and didn't quite know what to make of the situation. That Aria took an interest in T'Soni was unexpected but in hindsight not that unusual. The information broker was a notorious figure with potentially dangerous or useful associates. He wasn't particularly worried about Aria. There was no way she knew about what was really going on.

What troubled him more was how he reacted to the Asari he wanted to betray.

He had seen pictures and vids of her before, an abundance of it in fact, but apparently they had all failed to properly capture her. Feron had known that she was beautiful even by Asari standards, but that didn't trouble him. He only had to take a look around to see at least three other Asari that were at least equally as good-looking.

He decided her attire was a good metaphor for what distinguished her from everyone else in the room.

It was coloured white and blue with golden highlights, perfectly complementing her skin. The coattails made it look elegant but she still appeared casual in it. I was obviously well made and beautiful. It stood out in this crowd of party goers. Like she did.

His experienced eye noticed that it was light armour and he wouldn't be surprised if the seemingly light material provided more protection than the hardshell suit the Batarian guide wore.

It was this elegance, coupled with the strength hidden in plain view, the sparkling curiosity in her eyes, that mesmerized him. It had the feeling of true nobility to it. Not the pale mockery that sometimes came with new money, nor the condescending manner most upper caste Batarians displayed. Liara's elegance and grace just came naturally to her and yet she seemed ready to spring into action at a moments notice. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it.

_This is a mistake!_

For now T'Soni had vanished in Aria's private booth. Feron began thinking furiously what to do. _Do I go on? Or... No! I will go on as planned._

* * *

Liara submitted to the full body scan with an arched eyebrow. The Asari had no suitable body language to indicate what she felt at the moment – annoyed yet slightly amused curiosity. Since she had first seen Humans speak, the young Asari had felt herself enthralled with the expressiveness of Human body language.

Every species was slightly different in how they communicated beyond words. There were some curious similarities like the handshake – although the specifics varied – the laugh and the kiss that were shared by some, if not all species, but the finer points were mostly lost, requiring intensive study to properly interpret. It was the reason for the Elcor's strange speech patterns.

Asari were curiously even more handicapped than the other species, with the possible exception of the Elcor. Body language had not been very pronounced in their culture until recently. It was simply not necessary when one could just touch the speaker to feel the emotion beneath it. It was a very shallow meld, minds barely touching, and never intrusive. Thoughts were not transmitted only a faint echo of what emotions accompanied the words. The eyes didn't even turn black.

The custom wasn't practised anymore, except in private gatherings among the Asari elite, but the tendency to lightly touch ones company was still there.

_Maybe it has fallen out of practice because others might deduce correctly just how powerful the meld truly is._

A new wave of disgust at her species' deceit was washing through Liara. She still couldn't forgive the leaders of her people. She felt betrayed.

_Why have you never told me mother? What else have you kept hidden from me?_

The Batarian was finally satisfied with whatever his omni told him. Certainly he wasn't looking for weapons. Her pistol was still holstered at her hip. He hadn't even given it a second glance.

_A demonstration of power then. 'See you are at my mercy but I'm unconcerned that you could bring harm to my person.' How trite. But true._

Liara had to smile slightly at the situation. Her previous anxiousness was evaporating fast. This was just chest pounding. Aria was letting her know who was in charge on Omega. Liara was feeling rather flattered that she had drawn her attention without even trying. Annoyed, but flattered. Stepping forward she presented herself to the scrutiny of the Matriarch that was no Matriarch. Others might be intimidated but she was not. Having spent decades with Benezia who always seemed to be surrounded by other Matriarchs, the power of age did not impress her as much as it probably should. Even the very real power Aria no doubt commanded paled in what she had seen the past two years. After they had met Sovereign on Virmire all seemed so... inconsequential.

"Little Miss T'Soni. I was wondering when you would show up," Aria finally acknowledged her. She made no motion for her to be seated however. _Still with the power games, I see._

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you as well, Aria," Liara kept her tone pleasant but otherwise neutral. Like Aria with her dismissive behaviour she was sending a message. Yes, they were on Aria's turf but they were still equals. It was mostly a matter of appearance. Aria could crush Liara right there if she wanted but the retribution would likely be just as fatal.

They continued their play in silence for another five minutes, simply looking at each other, Liara with a pleasant smile with just a hint of hardness, Aria alternating between dismissive and contemptuous smirks. Asari were notoriously patient and this long silent prelude was a remnant of older times, seldom practised. Aria was highly unorthodox for a Matriarch and Liara barely in her Maiden years but neither backed down. The guards, despite their training began feeling nervous. Usually the 'guests' were always quick to back down, even other Asari.

How long such a quite contemplation lasted was dependant of the circumstances. Usually the supplicant or the initiator would indicate that they were now ready to speak by giving a sign to their counterpart, like touching their arm or giving them a nod. The other could then chose to remain silent for a longer time which again could hide many meanings.

Finally Aria gave an irritated snort and waved her hand towards the far end of the sofa in a condescending manner. With a graceful, accepting nod, something halfway to a bow but not quite, Liara seated herself.

"I imagine your time is quite precious, to precious in fact, for this to be a mere social call. Please, how can I help you Aria?" Liara said, folding her hands in her lap, aware of the contrast between the two. Waiting any longer would have been foolish and rightly angered her host.

"Well, hasn't your mother raised you right and proper," Aria drawled, giving her a crooked smile. "Cut the crap T'Soni, we both know it's an act."

"As you wish," Liara answered, slightly relaxing but still keeping her posture. "Now, why have you summoned me here? Like you, I have business to attend to."

"That's better. Just don't get to cocky. Remember the first and only rule on this station. _Don't fuck with Aria_."

"Rest assured, I have no interest in intercourse with you," just as soon as the words were out she regretted them. _Stupid! Stupid!_

"My, my, haven't you got a quad," the grin on Aria's face managed to convey both her amusement and a warning – the balance between amusement and anger was very fragile. "Whatever. Just so we are clear. I'm not usually in the business of handing out warnings but you have done right by me in the past, so consider this investment in the future. Your arrival here has stirred up more attention than you probably know. Someone took a notice."

"That's not possible! I've told nobody where I went!" _Stop! Control yourself Liara._

"Kid, believe me, in this business someone always knows something. Might be the leak is on your end, might be your contact screwed up. Don't care, either way. And you owe me for the tip," Aria finished with a dismissive wave. "By the way, the Drell you are looking for is in the third booth to the left."

Grinding her teeth Liara stood. "Very well. Thank you for your time and information. I won't forget it," she said with another slight inclination of her head, this time more deferential but only slightly.

Aria made a show of barely acknowledging her, appearing bored with the world. Seeing as the dismissal that it was, Liara turned and left without sparing neither Aria nor her guards a second glance. All the while she thought furiously what this meant. Who has leaked her whereabouts and to whom? Was her agenda compromised? Should she still go on with her plan?

_No. I will go on as planned._

She made her way to the booth Aria had indicated.

* * *

Feron let out a breath of relief, as he saw T'Soni heading his way. The exchange between the two Asari had taken longer than anticipated. The Queen of Omega was not known for her patience. It was almost unheard of anyone spending more than five minutes in her booth. He briefly wondered what they had talked about. What if Aria had warned Liara?

His thoughts were yanked back to the present as he was once again enthralled by the unconsciously sultry walking Asari making her way to him. _Fuck! Get your shit together!_

"Are you Feron?" _Damn, that voice is just too... Fuck! Stop it!_

"Yes, Doctor T'Soni, I presume?" he was startled at her laughing with obvious mirth at his words. Her laugh sounded like music to his ears. _Have I said something wrong? Why is she laughing?_

He couldn't know that these were almost the exact words Shepard had used when she had found Liara on Therum. Ashley Williams had laughed, just as she did now. Back then Liara, full of uncertainties, had felt embarrassed and flustered but decided that there was no time to ask those strange Humans about their equally strange behaviour.

Later, after their friendship had not quite grown into the love they felt now, she had asked Angie about the incident. The Human only smiled and told her the story of David Livingstone. They even watched the vid about him together. It was one of the many moments that strengthened their bond and like all of them she cherished it. Liara still didn't understand why that particular quote made Ashley laugh but now it reminded her of the day she had met Shepard.

After that little incident, they continued as if nothing happened. They kept their discussion very vague, the booth was open to the public after all. There was no telling if anyone was listening in.

Feron couldn't help himself and flirted shamelessly with the gorgeous Asari. Strangely she did not dissuade him and seemed rather flattered by his attention. However she never reciprocated, never gave any sign that she even understood flirting. Her coy smile stole his heart. He felt himself falling for her. He knew she was probably already taken, but the irrational part of his brain that seemed to be in control right now allowed itself to hope. _Maybe the report was wrong?_

All to soon the moment he had dreaded came. Satisfied that Feron was indeed in possession of the other half of the encrypted data, Liara requested to continue their business in private. It was a reasonable request, one that his original plan had actually hinged on. Now Feron wasn't so sure if he wanted to follow through with it.

As they wandered the streets of Omega he tired to delay as much as he could, taking detours and backtracks, claiming to discourage followers. Still he could tell Liara was getting impatient. Taking a deep breath he stepped into the next alleyway.

"Feron! I was wondering when you would show up," the figure of a Batarian Blue Sun mercenary blocked their way, flanked by four others. He knew there were at least another five behind them. "And I guess that's the girl you told us about. Gotta say you have some style Drell. Maybe we can have some fun with her tonight."

He could feel Liara's stare at the back of his head. He knew all that was keeping him alive was the weapons trained at her. He made his decision. He only hoped it was not too late.

"Thank you Bato, but I don't think I need your services anymore. You and your team will be paid of course. It seems my little precaution was unnecessary after all."

The Batarian only laughed at him, his troops remained silent.

"Never picked you for a quitter Feron," he finally said. "Your change of heart changes nothing. The Broker wants her, he gets her.

"Take them."

_Shit!_


	12. Escape

**AN:** I didn't realize how much I like writing badass Liara. Got this chapter finished faster than I would have imagined. Enjoy!

* * *

Liara was seething. To stumble into such an amateurish trap! She briefly considered her options. The Blue Sun's equipment was new, not quite the latest iteration like hers but more than up to the task. Going up against ten of them would be tricky even if they wouldn't flank her. And there was no telling if they had more man lurking around the corners or perched atop rooftops in the vicinity.

She felt so helpless and wished desperately for Shepard to be here, not for the first time.

"Feron! I was wondering when you would show up," the apparent leader, an ugly Batarian called out and continued to objectify her. Liara suppressed a shudder. _What is it with that species and their need to debase everyone?_

It wasn't common for an Asari to find another species physically repulsive, but Liara was making an exception for the Batarians. Likely it came from the things she had seen them do in Angie's memories of the Skyllian Blitz, but she wasn't entirely sure. Other species had also been part of the attack, mostly Turians and Humans even a few Asari, but the Batarians had been the most numerous and brutal by far. Liara did not know how Angie managed to keep her anger in check and not simply slaughter every Batarian she came across. Liara only knew what _she_ wanted to do to the mercenary in front of her, given half a chance. As it was, she had to push back her anger and remain stoic. _Goddess, what will Shepard think when she hears of this?_

She wasn't particularly concerned for her safety. Naturally there was the threat of rape, but Liara was confident it wouldn't come to that. She would make it abundantly clear that anyone that as much as touched her would die. Coming from an Asari who was a powerful biotic that was a very real threat. She was thought never to initiate a meld without consent, abhorred the very idea even, but if someone was intent on violating her, she would repay in kind. _When have I become this ruthless? To think of destroying another's mind...!_

"Thank you Bato, but I don't think I need your services anymore. You and your team will be paid of course. It seems my little precaution was unnecessary after all," her Drell companion was putting up a good show, she had to admit. It became clearer and clearer that his true agenda was not what he claimed to be, not that she was surprised. She had half expected him to betray her, even before she had taken the freighter to this hell of a space station, but the chance was to good to pass up.

Still Feron's behaviour puzzled her. He had been pleasant to talk to back at the club and had joked with her in a friendly manner. He seemed nice, and her empathy had never been this wrong. During their walk he became increasingly agitated, as if he didn't want to reach their destination. But the words he traded with the Batarian only lead to one conclusion. Feron was behind this ambush.

Their banter finished, Bato indicated one of his man to step forward and bind her. She gave them both an icy glare and was rewarded with a flinch by the Turian that approached her. She let him bind her without fuss though, there was no point. He also took her omnitool and the biotic amp. She barely suppressed a triumphant smirk.

Then came the next surprise. Feron was bound too. He, unlike her, tried to resist but to no avail. After the restraints were in place he was bodily shoved forward. Liara was allowed to move on her own. _Curious. Maybe I will have time to get to the bottom of this later._

Soon they arrived at a warehouse in the middle of an abandoned section of the station. This time Liara was shoved through the door together with Feron. She took great care not to stumble too much and was satisfied to remain upright. Soon they found themselves bound on two uncomfortable chairs, facing each other. Feron tried to avoid her eyes. The leader of the Blue Sun's was standing at a distance, speaking into his communicator. His words were too faint to make out for the most part but he sounded agitated.

"Then find him again you idiot! The Broker wants him, so he will get him. Alive!" he shouted the last words into the device then hurled it across the room. One of his man moved to retrieve it. Bato snarled at him but otherwise ignored him, as he walked towards her.

"Competent help is so hard to come by, don't you think?" he said as he groped her breasts. Liara felt sick but kept her unimpressed, icy stare. She said nothing. "I have to go now, but I will be back later and we will have some _fun,_" he finished, moving to stroke her cheek.

Liara took her chance immediately without any warning. As soon as the Batarian's skin touched hers she initiated the meld. Without the proper preparation her feelings of icy contempt and hatred, feelings that were part her own and part stolen from Shepard when she had shown her the memories of Elysium overwhelmed the unprepared mind. He staggered back a step in shock and felt a stab of fear as he looked into Liara's face.

Her eyes were still black with white rings where her iris bordered the previously white sclera. Ashley had once told Shepard that the meld could be scary to an outside spectator, a fact she now abused. With her face contorted by hatred she no doubt looked like a demon.

"Never touch me again or I will inflict the same a hundredfold stronger. I will destroy your mind until nothing is left of you but a frothing animal," Liara's voice was perfectly calm, never betraying the emotions that gradually dissipated from her face, just as the colours came back to her eyes. At the same time, the Batarian's shock abated to be replaced by a mad anger. He moved to backhand her across the face. Liara didn't flinch. Something he saw in her face must have stopped him as he paused, hand still raised. They regarded each other for a moment longer, his hand still comically pulled back in midstrike, face contorted in barely contained rage. A part of Liara wanted him to follow through, even if it would put her in a very difficult position. _Do it coward!_

He spat in her face, finally lowered his hand and stalked away. "No one touches her! I will enjoy breaking her. Later!" _Empty words._

The mercenaries left the room, barely able to look at her. Bound as she was, she had still dominated them. Liara allowed herself a cold smile. _Are you still proud of me Mother? Do you approve of how like you I have become? Goddess I hate this!_

Turning her eyes from the door she looked at the Drell that brought her in this mess for the first time since they had walked into the ambush. She bored into him with the same icy stare she had regaled the mercenaries with, as he desperately tried to look away. His face was a confusion of feelings, some of which she could decipher. There was fear obviously but also shame and regret. It puzzled her.

"Why?"

* * *

Feron saw his life going down the drain, fast. How stupid he had been, to assume the Broker didn't know about his little, pathetic scheme. And now after Feron had tried to abandon his plans he conveniently stepped in. _Sometimes I hate my life._

What amazed him most, even through the debilitating amounts of self-pity, was how controlled Liara carried herself, even under these circumstances. She didn't offer any resistance, but she was far from resigned. As if this was a mere inconvenience. As they made their way towards what he recognized as the warehouse he had picked for his own plan she walked with her back straight, head held high. Even when they pushed her through the door she didn't flinch or falter, her face barely betrayed a flicker of annoyance. _Did she know about the trap? She can't have anticipated the Broker's involvement! What has Aria told her?_

When Bato harassed her, Feron felt sick and disgusted. He was also ashamed that he brought this upon the Asari. But then something happened that raised his spirits. Bato staggered back as if hit, looking up for the first time he immediately knew why. Even with the look directed at someone else, he was suddenly struck by fear. At her words, cold as ice, he started to shiver. He once again averted his eyes. _How can she be so cold? Back at Afterlife she was a little reserved but this is something else!_

After the mercenaries had left he felt her stare focusing on him. It was not a pleasant feeling at all, but he felt its pull. He didn't want to look her in the eyes, didn't want to see the cold hatred there or even the final disappointment that she had flashed towards the Turian that had bound their hands. He lost his battle.

Seeing the Bataran's spittle still dropping from her cheek he cringed again, seeing her indifference to it made it even worse.

"Why?"

Her question came in a neutral tone, inquisitive but not yet judging. The cold indifference on her face chilled him to the core. And he spilled it all.

Between sobs, he told her of his plans, his dreams. How Meolin had come to him, how he pieced the story together, how he contrived a plan but had decided to not follow through with it, but too late. How it was his fault that they were now in the Shadow Broker's hands and that he was sorry.

"Sorry is not good enough. You will help me get the data from Meolin and then you will run far and fast," Liara said without a hint of empathy but a steely resolve and confidence. The way she said it, there was no doubt that she would expect it to happen in just this way.

"But we are trapped! Bato will return in an hour, maybe two! They have taken our weapons and your biotic amp! There is no way for us to escape!"

She just smirked at him and pulled her arms from behind her back, the shackles neatly falling off. Feron was stunned.

* * *

Liara barely listened to the Drell ramble on about his plans. Most of it she had figured out by herself already, the only surprise was that he was obviously infatuated with her, but she paid it no further mind.

She was in deep concentration, focusing on the delicate task she set out to do as soon as the guards were out of sight. Like all biotics she had an amp and like the name suggests it was providing her biotics with extra power, making them strong enough to actually be useful in combat. But time could substitute for power and time she had. But that was not all of it. Liara felt confident enough that her biotics were strong enough to take out one or two of the mercenaries, even without the amp. Afterwards she would feel drained but with luck it wouldn't come to that. Breaking the shackles would hardly tax her.

The biotic Warp field was mostly used to damage enemy armour or violently disrupt biotics that were already in place. The chaotically shifting mass effect fields could tear matter apart at a molecular level and even use more stable fields to amplify the effect with devastating results. Liara only had to focus her warp field at her shackles to weaken the material. In theory this was simple but there were three problems that made it highly inadvisable to downright impossible, according to conventional wisdom.

First she worked blind, as her hands were tied behind her back. It was possible to create a mass effect field outside ones field of vision but it was highly inadvisable. Plus she had to create a warp field close to her own skin, which was not a good idea if she valued her hands. However in this case these two circumstances worked in her favour. As she had to rely on her sense of body instead of her vision to guide her it was less likely that she accidentally hurt herself.

The second reason was her missing amp but that only meant it would take minutes instead of seconds. Far more concerning was the control this particular feat needed. Usually only gifted Matrons or Matriarchs possessed the necessary skill. She not only had to limit the power to what was needed, she also had to direct it to a very precise location.

The real stopper was that biotics heavily relied on gestures to trigger the correct electric response from the involved neurons by physical mnemonics. That meant that physical restrains were a very effective method to hinder the use of biotics. To Liara's knowledge no one has ever seriously tried to find an alternative way to trigger ones biotics. That was, no one until Shepard and herself had tried their hand on it. In hindsight it was almost laughable simple.

All it had required was a meld. Liara had been able to monitor Angie as she used her biotics in the conventional way. As soon as she knew what was going on in her lovers mind when she used her biotics, she could stimulate the same process from not-quite-outside. From that point their progress was exponential.  
Soon they were able to control their biotics with nothing more than a thought. They kept their discovery hidden for now. Later when the war would begin in earnest they might share, but for now it was an advantage nobody expected.

Her old mentor would be proud! The degree of control she had developed together with Shepard rivalled that of a Matriarch but unlike them they had abandoned the classic safe ways. Biotics were a conservative science, amusingly treated much like 'magic' in old fantasy novels. Unlike technology where mass effect fields were used in innovative, sometimes even frivolous, ways, biotics stuck to the old ways. Just how old those ways were Liara found out only recently. Apparently almost all techniques were initially learned from the beacons. Which explained why nobody tried to change the field of biotics. Everybody assumed the Protheans had made an exhaustive study and that there was nothing new to learn. And even they had relied on silly gestures to activate their biotics. _How foolish they are. The Protheans probably have copied the techniques just like us._

Just as Feron began to apologize she felt her shackles give in. A final tug and she would be free. She turned her attention back to the Drell. Feron's apology felt genuine but after all the trouble he had brought her, she wasn't going to let him off easy. Besides she still needed Meolin, or rather his data.

She slipped back into her cold, ruthless mask. "Sorry is not good enough. You will help me get the data from Meolin and then you will run far and fast," she told him in a voice that allowed no argument.

She expected him to squirm about their current predicament and wasn't disappointed when he delivered. With a confident smirk she broke her bindings as if it was nothing. Feron only gaped in awe and terror.

"Now, will you help me or shall I leave you here?" she said, rising from the chair. He remained silent, obviously still stunned. With a disappointed sigh she turned towards the door.

"No! I will help you, just get me out of here!" he hissed in horror at the prospect of being left behind.

With her face pointing away from the Drell, she allowed herself a satisfied smile. When she turned back it was gone but her gaze was not as icy as it was before. He had earned that at least. Making a show of cutting through his shackles the same way as through hers, she freed him in a matter of seconds. This time it was much easier as she saw what she was doing. And she wasn't particularly concerned about his hands. Still the warp field nipped his skin only slightly, colouring it an irritated red.

Together they moved towards the door, the next big obstacle. Thankfully it wasn't a security door, so even if it was locked, Liara could open it the same way as she did the shackles. It would drain her of all her remaining strength though and she wasn't ready to give away that small advantage just yet.

As they silently discussed how to escape the door suddenly opened. Both immediately dropped into fighters positions and Liara erected a weak barrier that would keep at least a few shots away from her. The new arrivals, a Human male and an Asari, were obviously just as stunned as they were. Equally obvious was that they were not with the Blue Sun's. As they lowered their weapons Liara allowed herself a glimmer of hope.

"Who are you?" she asked wearily.

"My name is Paul Johnson and this is Liselle. Aria sent us to bust you out," the Human told her. He was tall and thin with dark hair and looked slightly haggard. His slightly bloodshot eyes and faintly luminous teeth marked him as a former red-dust addict that had only recently broken his addiction.

"What is Aria's angle in this?" Liara asked filled with suspicion. The Queen of Omega wasn't known for her charity.

"Look, I'm just a soldier. Aria doesn't tell me her reasons," Johnson told her, arms raised defensively. "She told me and my team to bust you out and here we are. Seems we shouldn't have bothered. By the looks of it you could have handled the two guards out there just fine.  
"Now come along, your gear is stashed just outside. Bloody amateurs." He shook his head at the obvious incompetency of the Blue Sun mercenaries. Why hadn't they kept an eye on their prisoners?

As Liara and Feron rearmed themselves, Johnson called Aria to let her know about the situation. Finishing his call he came back towards them.

"Aria isn't very pleased with the situation. Now, you haven't heard this from me, but apparently she promised someone to watch over you," he told them in a hushed voice so none from his men could hear them. "She won't go against the Broker though so if you want to go on you are on your own. We are under orders to either escort you back to the club or let you go. It's your choice."

Liara's mind was reeling from the implications. Someone had known enough about her mission and had enough pull with Aria to convince the untouchable ruler of Omega to watch over her. _Who could have known? Angie? No she would have rushed to Omega herself, not work through Aria. Who else?_

As no plausible suspect was forthcoming she pushed the thoughts about her benefactor aside. Her mission hadn't changed, only the parameters were different now.

"We will go after them. Thank you for your assistance and please convey my gratitude to Aria as well," she was once again her confident information broker persona. Giving Paul and Liselle a quick nod which they returned she motioned for Feron to follow her. She only hoped they would run into Beto and his team again. Liara was feeling uncharacteristically violent and the disgusting Batarian would provide a welcome outlet.

* * *

"Your kid is just as stubborn as you are. Why am I not surprised?"

"Hah, she got her stubbornness from her mother, not from me. Benezia was the one that could out-stubborn a Krogan. Or a half-Krogan."

"Whatever. She's going against the Broker and I won't cross him. Not even for you."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it Aria. Don't get your panties in a twist about it. But she's tough. And now that she's one the offensive they won't know what hit them. Just don't be upset when she trashes your station a bit."

"Alright, but I consider my debt repaid."

"The debt from when I dragged your sorry ass from that space station that friend of yours blew up, yes. But there's still the time when..."

"Enough! I get it Aethyta, just..."

The other Matriarch just laughed as Aria closed the connection. _Damn those T'Soni's and their bondmates!_

* * *

**AN: **The sclera is the white part of the eye, at least according to my short wikisearch.

The biotics in Mass Effect seem like formulaic magic to me. That's fine for a video game but in a story that's just wasted potential. So Liara and Shepard are going to change that. Right now, the whole galaxy uses only the known applications of the biotic mass effect fields. It's mostly combat oriented which is the reason why most Asari never trained their gift. Most of them never see the need, like we don't learn to shoot a weapon or train in martial arts.

This is mostly reasonable because the more ingenious applications require precise control over both the area of effect and the power of the field. It's not something your average biotic achieves unless he/she trains for decades or even centuries. Of course neither Liara nor Shepard are even remotely average.

Some of you might know Paul Johnson under a different name but I'll leave it to you to figure it out. It's not that hard. He might play a part later on though.

Yes I've implied, like many before me, that Aria and Aleena are one person. It's not too far fetched in my opinion, but I won't expand on it. If you don't like it you can pretend Aethyta is talking about a different space station than Wrex.  
And even though Aria hasn't officially met Shepard yet, I couldn't help the quick jab by Aria at the end. Sorry :P


	13. Liara Balboa

**AN:** To all of you who give me support through fav's, sub's or reviews – thank you very much!

Another shout out, this time to Tayg and her awesome story 'Uncommon Bonds'. She's the reason why the title is so silly. Liara Balboa rocks!

A heads up: I will be touring Asia from September, 16. till mid October so there will be no updates. I won't pull a Salsar though and hope to actually finish this arc before departing. I was temped to leave you with a cliffhanger – but the only one in the near future is just too evil.

I had a more lengthy AN written here but decided to put most of it at the end of this chapter. It will explain a few thinks as well as go into Leviathan, the new DLC. No spoilers though.

Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

Liara had rounded a couple of corners before she noticed something. She had no idea where to go.

Coming to an abrupt halt she whirled round to face Feron who had followed her in uneasy silence. "I don't suppose you have the data with you?" she asked, not surprised at his negative response. "I assume you were unable to extract it from Meolin and he still has it. So where is he?"

"I'll lead you to him, but if the Broker already knew about my plan, he will also know where to look for Meolin as well," Feron actually seemed eager to offer. "But he's smart and more than a little paranoid after what has happened on Ilos. Make that _more_ paranoid than normal. He might have run at the first sign of trouble."

"Then we better hurry," was all Liara said.

Positions reversed, Liara followed Feron through the abandoned streets of the station. Machines clanked in hidden spaces, contributing to the loud silence that was only pierced on occasion by a distant cry often followed by gunfire. Liara could see that actually most of the dwellings were inhabited but none of the tenants were out and about. _Probably too scared or drugged up. Or both._

Feron came to a halt near the end of an unremarkable hidden allay, crouching behind some crates. Across the street Liara could see more prefab shelters haphazardly stacked to something resembling an apartment block. This type of architectonic eyesore was common in the poorer parts of Omega and hardly the first the pair had encountered, but Liara still couldn't believe that people actually lived in those _things_.

"If he hasn't vanished yet, Meolin will be in on of the prefabs in the near left corner; top floor," Feron said, pointing the ones out that he meant. At Liara's calculating look he continued, "Look, I know it's not pretty but it makes a very good hideaway. I could afford something better but then I would have to worry about being ratted out.  
"Pretty stupid of me; in hindsight."  
He was regaled with an amused, if slightly schadenfreudig, smirk.

Suddenly an old Batarian woman stepped in front of their small allay, staring directly at them. Liara had her pistol trained at her before Feron even registered what happened. The woman only stared defiantly back at her. She had steel in her eyes, which surprised Liara. She had pictured the people who lived here as broken outcasts.

"Are you going to let me pass or will you shoot me? Either way, make it quick. I haven't got all day," the crone said after a terse minute. Her tone implied she would be very _disappointed_ if Liara would shoot her. It reminded her of her mother.

Lowering her weapon, Liara let herself visibly relax, while strengthening her barriers. Unlike the males of the species she didn't hate the female Batarians. All of them were slaves or had been for a large part of their lives. Batarian women were property of their fathers and later husbands; or sons in case of widows. Only when all male descendants were dead could a Batarian woman be free, a curse as much as it was a blessing. Something told Liara that this one was one of the few. It showed her inner strength. Most in her situation would rather kill themselves. A manless Batarian woman was on the lowest ladder, in some senses even below her enslaved sisters. Freedom can't feed you.  
Stepping out of the way she tilted her head slightly to the left to show respect. "Peace be on your way, Revered Mother."

The old woman snorted at her words. "Child, this is Omega. What's this peace you are talking about," she said as she passed them. Liara did not take her eyes from the retreating woman until she vanished around a corner.

The encounter had shaken her more than she cared to admit and it was hard maintaining her confident mask. Apparently she had misjudged the inhabitants of this place; at least some of them. Previously she had planned to just barge in and take everyone out that sported the Blue Sun's colours. She couldn't be certain but she guessed there were no more than eight of them here, most of them spread out and thus vulnerable to a single attacker. Still that approach would lead to a lot of collateral damage and there was the distinct possibility that some bystander would get hurt. That hadn't bothered her until the Batarian crone had shown up.

Now she wasn't so sure anymore.

"Feron, is there another way in, besides the main door?" she asked her guide after they were sure the Batarian wouldn't come back.

"There is an access hatch on the roof but I don't see how we could get there without flying. Unless you got a skycar or some heavy duty climbing gear stowed away somewhere," came his tentative answer. In this neighbourhood people didn't own skycars and it would take them at least half an hour to reach a place where they could rent one. He gave Liara an apologetic look which she acknowledged with a dismissive shrug.

Internally Liara was dismayed. Looking up she immediately saw that he told the truth. The building was isolated, obviously something that had appealed to Feron when he settled on this place. _I guess all we can do is be careful not to cause too much damage.  
_Her gaze settled on the narrowest gap, still far to wide to safely jump it, eyes unseeing as she battled with herself. _Unless..._

* * *

_This is stupid!_ Liara told herself for the hundredth time in as many seconds, but she was already committed. Feron crouched on the roof of the nearest building to their target, exactly where Liara had left him only half a minute ago, staring at her in awe.  
She herself was suspended halfway across the gap trying desperately to balance herself between falling down and floating away, and at the same time propel herself forward. The gap was not wide; only ten, maybe fifteen meters by her estimate, yet it felt like the other side of the Galaxy.

Again her plan had seemed so easy on paper. Just lift herself off the ground and then push herself across. Easy. With Shepard at her side she wouldn't have hesitated for a moment; in fact, the assistance of any other biotic would have made this move as simple as trashing Geth. One does the lifting, the other the pushing. But she was alone and had to do both.  
Even that would not pose such a big problem if all she had to do was first do a lift than a throw. But she had no intention on splattering herself across the other roof. _Stop it, you are overly dramatic! You would be fine. Bruised but in one piece._

Lifting, Throwing and Pulling were generally thought to be very similar by non-Biotics but they were not. Not at all.  
Lifting was accomplished by reducing the mass, and at the same time gravity, to zero. The rest was all Newton's Third Law: the victim pushed against the floor, if only slightly, and pushed himself off in the process. Escape velocity was zero in z-gee - without gravity there was no reverting force to keep him grounded.  
The mechanism behind Pulling was similar to what happened when a ship used the Relays. The Biotic created a field corridor with a gradual potential which the victim 'tumbled down'. Sadly, at least in this case, the Biotic could not be affected.  
Throwing was a sudden change in momentum, which was actually rather complex to do with only mass effect fields, even when the idea was to throw as hard as possible. To a trained Biotic it was no more difficult than the rest of course. They didn't have to worry about the physics behind, just wave their arms and enjoy their foes tumbling like so many bowling pins.

Liara was not throwing very hard but still the continuous nature took its toll on her. She had not completely Lifted herself, reducing her mass to a tenth of its normal value instead of zero and was counteracting the now very weak gravity by carefully regulated Throws slightly angled to provide forward momentum as well. She had to be very careful though if she didn't want to cause a chaotic mixture of the conflicting fields. The effect was not very elegant and slightly nauseating, the up and down reminding her of the more unpleasant trips in the Mako.

_Almost there!_ Asari were similar to Humans in many ways. Sweat was one of them, as evidenced by her glistering forehead. With a final push, slightly more forceful than the previous ones, Liara propelled herself across the edge. Her landing was wobbly but she had made it across safe and sound. Unable to suppress a satisfied smirk she wiped her brow and gave Feron a thumbs up. _Angie will be so jealous! I can't wait to tell her that I can fly!_

Of course she knew she didn't actually fly and that others before her had mastered similar feats and managed to look much more graceful than her. Liara herself had once witnessed on of the more talented Commandos in Benezias employ glide down effortlessly from a five story building with nothing to aid her but her Biotics. As a young teenager she had been deeply impressed by how relaxed the Matron had looked as she descended like some goddess, bathed in biotic blue.

Liara noticed with satisfaction that Feron had left the roof. The plan was that he would enter the building through the main entrance as soon as Liara had stirred them up sufficiently. He was then to take out any Blue Suns that came his way, thrusting that the confusion would protect him from being spotted immediately. He was also to make sure Meolin would not slip by.

* * *

Having given Feron enough time to get into position, Liara opened the trapdoor, gave the room below a quick glance, and hopped down flippantly instead of dropping herself off the ledge. She immediately regretted it as her control over her Biotics had not yet recovered sufficiently. What she intended to be a smaller repetition of the Commandos performance turned into an embarrassing tumble that ended with her backside hitting the ground first, instead of her feet. It was mostly her pride that was bruised; mostly. Even the best armour couldn't protect her from blunt trauma, only spread it out over a larger area. It only meant her arse would be purple all over. Sleep would be difficult for a day or two; Liara was normally sleeping on her back, unless she had her Human pillow. _Well, that will teach me to keep my head level. I hope nobody finds out about this..._

Quickly getting to her feet she listened if anyone had heard her entrance. It didn't seem so. Just in case she took cover before hitting the opening mechanism to Feron's apartment.

She was surprised to see only two Blue Sun's, a Batarian and a Human in the room. They in turn were just as surprised as she was, only Liara recovered much faster. Before they could even grab for their weapons, on was enveloped in a stasis field and the other dispatched with two precise shots in the head. Liara approached the captured Human slowly, trying not to wince at the pain she was feeling. Going by the look of fear on the man's face she was doing a decent job of it. Seeing her pistol trained steadily at his head might have helped.

"Where is the rest of your sorry gang of loosers?" she asked, releasing him from the stasis. "Where is the Salarian?" Her left hand began to glow biotic blue, a reminder that his temporary freedom could be taken away at a moment's notice. Or that she could blast him with a Warp field. There was no way to tell. The merc seemed ready to piss himself.

"I- I- I don't know! Bato told us to search for anything the frog might have left behind," he was positively shitting himself, going by the fear in his voice. "I don't know what happened! We stormed the place but as soon as we entered all our weapons overheated. That crazy Salarian was mumbling to himself right there and the next moment he was gone. He just vanished! Next thing we know the guy we left outside went down and Bato stormed out leaving only us behind."

"Is that all?" Liara asked taking another threatening step towards the man.

"Yes! It's the truth! Please don't kill me! We wouldn't have done anything to you, I swear!" He was backing away from here but Liara didn't let up.

"I don't believe you," was all the warning he got. Taking a page out of Shepard's book she closed the distance in two swift steps and struck him across the jaw with a biotic-infused fist. He was out cold, his jaw probably shattered. Liara didn't notice; her hand hurt like hell and she was cradling it against her chest, shouting a few choice expletives in various languages no one would have guessed she knew. Yet alone use.

Just as she had moved to her favourite swearing language – Italian, she had Angie to thank for that – as the omni-tool of the dead Batarian suddenly flickered to life. It was an audio only transmission, the caller not wasting any time with pleasantries.

"Bato here, we got that little lizard cornered at the dock at Vatar Plaza, but I can't raise Tizok," Liara recognized the voice easily, eliciting another stream of profanities. "Something has gone wrong and we are not sticking around to find out what. So hurry the fuck up and get your asses here, we are leaving as soon as we got the package."

Laira was out the door in a heartbeat, instructing her own omni-tool to calculate the quickest route to Vatar Plaza. She barely noticed Feron falling in step behind her, not daring to ask her what happened.

* * *

They arrived at the dock just in time to see Meolin hauled into a freighter. Liara immediately started firing and throwing the mercenaries around with her biotics. Despite the fact that they got their asses handed to them by a single Asari Maiden they managed to hold the line long enough for the ship to finish its starting procedure. A few minutes more and they would have been overwhelmed but they got off light; only three had to be left behind, dead. Liara could hear Bato swearing at her and promising revenge. She let him shout, as she knew her apparent indifference was fanning his anger; and anger made people stupid. Liara wanted to swear and shout herself, but wouldn't let herself. _Goddess! What do I do now?_

She considered calling Shepard, but even she would be unable to track down the freighter with the head start they would have by the time the Normandy made it to Omega. She could take the freighter she had used to get to Omega but it lacked the advanced scanning equipment necessary to follow a vessel, even if it was only another freighter. _And we are back at the beginning. We have one part, the others the second part. Only this time we are working against the Shadow Broker himself._

Feron, probably guessing at her inner thoughts, was shifting restlessly from one foot the the other. At any other time she would have ignored it, but right now Liara's patience was lacking. "What is it?" she snapped at him. Although he had helped her as best as he could, she hadn't forgiven him his part in all this; not by a long shot.

"Sorry Doctor T'Soni. I think I know where they are going," he answered, taken aback by her sudden agitation. "I want to make this right. I will help you get the data back."

* * *

**AN you don't have to read:**

I actually don't understand how Throw can work. As far as we know, Mass Effect Fields can change the mass in an arbitrary volume of space. They can either lower or increase the mass but there is no mention of impairing momentum or actually act as a force in the codex entry.  
I can understand how Lift works and Pull is only slightly different. Singularity is easy too and I can get my head around Warp somewhat. Stasis is a special case since the combat variant is not too far fetched, but the stasis pod variant is something else. And Reave is just plain ridiculous, but in a cool way.  
So I will just wave my hand dismissively and say 'A wizard – I mean, Dark Energy did it'. Thankfully Mass Effect is not Hard Science Fiction.

Leviathan. Short version: The action was enjoyable but standard fare. The ambience was stunning and the lore worth it though. Overall better than the other DLCs except LotSB – can't compare it to Overlord and Arrival though, never played them.  
Special mention goes to Liara's little quips when you talk to her on the Normandy. The last one had me cracking up. I won't spoil it to you but I think you have to have romanced her for it. The rest of the team also have their moments. If you don't intend to play the DLC look up the dialogue on youtube.  
What I don't get is: why have they not included Leviathan in the original game? Had they included the information we get in the DLC, I'm certain they would have received much less flak for the ending. At least it wouldn't have been completely out of the blue. Or they could have replaced From Ashes with Leviathan. As much as I like Javik he is not essential to the story. Leviathan is.  
What I like is that I can use the material for this story. It really ties in well in what I had planned anyhow. Still going without the Starchild and the Crucible though.  
(Just to be clear: I have nothing major against them in the game. Especially since Leviathan. But I want to go for something different.)

On this note and since Theodur has brought it up in his review (by the way: you rock!) I think I should address this further. Where does this fic go?

Last chapter I explained a little bit about how biotics work (at least here in this story). I also explained how Liara and Shepard have begun to change them.

Progress will not be restricted to biotics however. I already gave several hints that AIs will play a major role and the data Meolin carries is not just a MacGuffin (something everyone is after but has no relevance to the story itself).

This is a story about progress. One thing that bugged me without end was that ever since Virmire they know that their current technology was exactly what the Reapers wanted it to be. No chance in hell can they beat them with what they have. And since I refuse to use the Crucible in this story...

I will try to extrapolate from the tech known in ME and not wildly invent stuff or borrow it from other sources, so this story _should_ keep the ME fell.

I might make an exception for powered armour though. And I'm talking Warhammer 40k-style and not some pussy Iron Man stuff. But that's only because I love the idea of a platoon of Space Marines utterly destroying some Reaper minions with chainswords and bolters. In the name of The Shepard!  
And it's basically a downscaled Atlas, so it's not that far fetched...  
Or I will go to the source for inspiration: Starship Troopers. The book, not the film.

(Speaking of which; another nugget of SF-trivia: Remember the conversation Shep can have with Ashley in ME1, where they commiserate on their respective times in boot. Their instructor used a very special word: goldbricking.  
They even joke about how nobody uses that word besides him. Well, I found the original: Sergeant Zim, of Starship Troopers. He's the Drill Sargeant in charge of Johnny's troop; the one that in the film responds to the question 'Who would bring a knife to a nuke fight?' by impaling the hand of the questioner. In the book he's slightly friendlier. But then the book is very different from the film.)

Another question came up, whether the Collectors would make an appearance or not. Yes, they definitely will.  
One premise of this story is that Shepard is more proactive and didn't take the job of hunting down the Geth. As a result she never went back to the Terminus Systems, the main haunt of the Collectors, before returning to Ilos.  
Remember, this story is just at the beginning. We haven't really started with ME2 yet, except for Overlord. And I still have another little arc (3-4 chapters) planned before we get to it. Then the title will also start to make sense.  
Before you ask: Yes Cerberus will also play a major role, as will Miranda. I fully plan to include the whole team of ME2 in some way or another.

English and German swearing is pretty straightforward which has its uses. French swearing, as we know from the Merovingian, is like wiping your ass with silk. But the Italian steal the prize in both gusto and inventiveness in my opinion. Considering that their normal tone of discussion is a friendly shout, they have to. How else would they get the point across?


	14. Chaos

**AN:** I just read one of the most hilarious scenes in Harry Potter fanfiction ever, and I think you might enjoy it too: Luna Bloody Lovegood pulling off an Asari Meld – with black eyes, 'Embrace Eternity', and all that. Yeah. I couldn't stop laughing for like five minutes...

For those who want to read it in full: 'Harry Potter and the Quantum Leap' by Seel'vor is basically your standard 'go back in time and fix it'-fic but with a lot of science and pop references mixed in. The story is pretty good in my opinion but sadly the author has gone into hiatus.

I won't spoil it all, but Harry apparently is quite the fan of James Bond, Star Track and Doctor Who. And Hedwig's bitch. The odd Star Wars reference thrown in didn't hurt either. Luna makes her appearance in Chapter 25 by the way. It's deliciously weird!

I'm uploading this without a decent internet connection, so there was no way to properly check my spelling. And I want this arc finished before my trip. By the way, I really hate the English language sometimes. Why do some words have to be so similar?

Anyway, on with the show!

* * *

By the time they got to the freighter Liara was bursting with suppressed impatience. Despite Feron's promise she wasn't willing to rely completely on him. She had this irrational urge to track the mercenaries herself; irrational because it would be impossible to do so with her limited resources. It simply couldn't be done. For the umpteenth time she wished she had the Normandy, more specifically Shepard, to back her up. _I should have told her and insist she stayed back. She wouldn't have forced the issue, would she? Then again the Council wouldn't have allowed her to enter the Terminus. Not that it would have mattered to Angie..._

She then continued to mentally berated herself for sacrificing her concentration for such useless thoughts. Hindsight is 20/20, as Shepard was fond to say. _Such strange idioms the Humans have! What was the other one? It's no use to cry over spilled milk? Why would I cry because of wasted beverage? Unless it's a 1986 Serrice Ice Brandy or... Avalé! Focus Liara!_

"You mentioned you know where they are headed? Please tell me so I can program the autopilot," she finally asked Feron while starting up the engine.

"The Shadow Broker has only one physical command centre in the vicinity," he told her after blinking a few times, using the small holographic interface of the ships cockpit to display the galactic neighbourhood. He highlighted Omega and another system in the Hourglass nebula, one jump away. "Alingon in the Faryar System. It has a magnetic field so strong that scanning equipment is mostly useless and communication requires sophisticated equipment that only he has access to. Makes it the perfect stronghold out here in the Terminus where loyalties are cheaper than alcohol and Aria rules over pretty much everything. It's the only place I know of that Bato could take Meolin to."

Liara didn't say anything to acknowledge his words and instead finished the last steps of reading the ship for departure. After she requested clearance by traffic control she programmed the autopilot to Alingon. With nothing else to do except waiting for TC to clear them, Liara mulled over Feron's reasoning, idly flicking through the holographic star map.  
His logic seemed solid. She briefly considered the possibility that there was another base where the Blue Sun's might be headed to but if Feron was correct and there was no other base for at least three jumps, it would be unwise to do so. Also she found it unlikely the Shadow Broker would risk a third-party becoming involved. One Blue Suns squad was probably already too much.

The Omega relay was a rarity in the Terminus, as it was equally accessible by anyone. Omega TC collected a small – for the Terminus at least – fee and made sure that not to many accidents happened. The rest of the galaxy's gutter was not so civil. Out in the Terminus the relays were controlled by local gangs, which collected tribute from everyone that wanted to pass. They usually let them wait for the privilege to travel as well, especially if they were members of the competition. Searchings were also common. The Blue Suns themselves were a major player with control of at least a forth of the relays. Luckily they held only one of the five that were in range of the relay to Omega.

"Batarian freighter,this is Traffic Control. You are clear for take off. And remember next week's sale at Dagro's. Dagro's Weapons – only the best from all the corners of the Galaxy!" Rolling her eyes at the annoying advertisement, Liara guided the ship, not too gently, out of the docking bay. As soon as she had put the minimum safety distance between them and the station she speed up to FTL, ignoring the automated warnings from TC. She idly noted that almost every ship around her jumped as soon as they toed the invisible line that made the difference between a stern, but ineffectual rebuke and getting shot out of the sky. No one fucks with Aria, and by extension her space station. Everyone and everything else was fair game.

Despite the agonizingly slow drive of the old and beaten freighter they arrived at the Relay, halfway across the system, after only two hours. As soon as they dropped out of FTL and their sensors delivered reliable data Liara froze. After a minute Feron finally steeled his resolve to see why they hadn't moved yet. What he saw made him worry. There was a look of fear on Liara's face he couldn't understand. Unsure what to do he started fidgeting.

The Omega Relay was a Star Type Relay. Basically there were two types of Relays: Those that could connect to only one other Relay, called Point Type, and those that could connect to more – typically three to five – Relays, called Star Type. Both had their advantages and disadvantages.

Star Type Relays were obviously excellent for hubs - like the Citadel, the Homeworlds, and large space stations – whereas Point Types were ideal for long distance travel. The reason was congestion.  
Point Type Relays allowed a near constant flow of traffic. Usually there was at least one other Relay in reasonable FTL distance. They provided an easy and fast way to cross vast distances and thanks to fixed approach vectors, ships only had to drop out of FTL for a short moment. On heavily travelled routes they still slowed traffic down, but wait-times were seldom longer than a couple of minutes or an hour at the most.  
Star Types, while at any time able to receive incoming traffic from all its partners, always pointed towards only one other Relay, making the others inaccessible until the Relay rotated to another Relay. For more organized hubs that was not a problem. There was a simple schedule that maximized traffic flow, keeping the wait times reasonable.  
Omega wasn't reasonable. In the Terminus the stronger decided; the bigger the guns – or economical cloud – the higher one was in the pecking order.

What unravelled before them was a venerable madhouse; a chaotic, shifting mass of ships where individual parts were constantly playing games of chicken. Every other minute the Relay would rotate to align towards another one of its three partner Relays, followed by ten to twenty exits. Then it rotated again.  
About the only places where ships weren't dangerously close to crashing into one another was along the depart and arrival vectors, those being safely buoyed off.

"Doctor T'Soni, we have to move," Feron suggested tentatively, still unsure how to best approach the terrified Asari that had displayed such frightening resolve and skill in battle. "Maybe I could take over the helm? I've some experience navigating this mess."  
He really couldn't blame the Asari for being caught off guard. He had been the same when he had seen the spectacle for the first time. Still, her reaction surprised him.

Feron's voice finally snapped Liara out of her shock. Nodding absent-mindedly, she transferred control to Feron's console, stood from her chair and walked out on shaky legs. The orderly mind of the Archaeologist still reeled at the chaos before her.  
There was a reason why Liara hated informal settings and large crowds: the chaos inherent to such gatherings frightened her to the core. There was nothing that Liara T'Soni feared more than chaos.  
It was a deep-rooted Phobia that made her a recluse but kept her functioning for the most time. She just hated and feared chaos like other people did spiders or heights. And unlike some of them she could face certain amounts of her fear. Benezia had been able to teach her that at least.  
This held true for over a century - until she met the first Human Spectre and her future lover, Angie Shepard.

Curiously enough they were very similar. The Human loved order as well and also had a deep-rooted fear of chaos, but unlike Liara, who at best managed to ignore her fear, Shepard had confronted hers and conquered it in the end. She had had to, on Elysium.  
Battle was always chaotic and like Liara the marine had learned to ignore it well enough to function. But the Skyllian Blitz was something else. And there, in the mud outside a Batarian encampment, readying herself to defend the lives of the innocent, she had her moment of clarity, her epiphany.  
Chaos made things exciting.  
It was a mad thought to have while preparing to slit a Batarian's throat in his sleep. Later Shepard would rationalize her insight. Life was chaotic, yet it brought advancement and ultimately had the chance to bring order. It was to be used, not feared.

Back in the meagre crew quarters Liara slumped against the wall, hugging her knees. Her eyes flashed to black as she remembered her first meld with Shepard.

_Why am I doing this? I haven't melded with anyone since mother! And why is that Human female giving me such a dark stare? What have I done to antagonize her? Was it... Focus Liara! You have to help the Commander, show her that you are more than a frightened scientist. But why should it matter... Eyes straight ahead, you are close enough now! Where do I touch her? Goddess what if I... Just take her hand Liara! You are about to enter her mind! It won't matter where you touch her! What do I say now?! I should make her more comfortable, but what do I say?! Relax Liara, breathe. What did mother always say? Ah yes... _'Relax Commander. Concentrate on your breathing and close your eyes. Good. Now try to focus on the visions. Embrace Eternity!'_  
Goddess she is so strong! I wish I... Ah, there are the visions. She has amazing control over her mind... AHHH! It's to intense! Make it stop! NO! Make it stop!_

Even after two years Liara's memory was still patchy about what exactly she had seen the first time the visions invaded her mind. Later they would become clearer and had she chosen to revisit the meld after the Cipher and the second Beacon on Virmire the chaos would have been much more palpable. But the visions were not what she was after.  
They had been pure, unabated chaos. Nothing had terrified her more before or since. But after the initial onslaught Liara had felt another presence, a kindred spirit that was there with her, bracing the storm and trying to do the impossible – bringing order to the vision's chaos. It was futile but still the other refused to give up. It was the Commander of course, fighting for her mind, holding herself together through sheer force of will, shouting her defiance, indomitable.  
Liara had fallen in love amidst the chaos. That was what she wanted to remember.

Smiling now, her eyes turning back to their normal bright blue-in-white, Liara relaxed, her breathing evening out. Her eyes were still unfocused as she remembered the small dance between herself and the Human that followed. She had been startled to realize that during that first meld something of her emotions leaked through. She hadn't intended for the meld to be this deep and two ways. The possibility that the Commander had seen something of hers had frightened her; not because she had anything to hide, but because she feared the Human would find her dull.  
Nothing could have been farther from the truth. Every day the Commander would spend some hours in the small lab behind the med-bay, engaging Liara in talks about herself, her views and hopes. The woman seemed insatiable.  
The melds after Feros and Virmire only intensified their connection, as timidly Liara opened the link to actively let something of hers slip through and both profited from it. Angie had the strength and determination to fight the chaos, to use it, Liara provided the stability and analytic mindset to bring order.

Together they braved the ultimate chaos – the Joining. Two persons, completely intertwined, all thoughts, memories, feelings, and emotions shared between them, making them one chaotic whole.  
With anyone else Liara would not have made it. But with Angie Shepard what should have been a terrifying experience was simply glorious!

Liara still struggled how she could best describe that first time. Everything she had read – and she had read a lot – suggested that what had happened was not normal at all. Chaos was to be expected and enjoyed which was why she had always avoided relationships and feared melds with anyone but her mother. Even with her new knowledge about the secret arts which allowed a skilled Asari to hold something back and bring a semblance of order into a very small part of the chaos she knew that what they had experienced was nothing like that.  
There had been no chaos. None at all. There never was in the Joinings with Angie.  
Or rather, it was there but together they could see the hidden order, the design behind the chaos. There was order, yet there was also chaos; everywhere at once. Instead of terrifying her, the Joining with Angie Shepard gave Liara joy and satisfaction she hadn't known before, and the best part was, that she _knew_ the Human felt exactly the same.

Having come to a decision, Liara stood and activated the terminal. The freighter had no means to enable a real-time call to the Normandy, even if the public comm-buoy they were linked to could provide her with the necessary bandwidth – to a reasonable price at least. A text message would have to do then. It might take an hour to reach Shepard but then, the Normandy could bypass every waiting line by virtue of her CO's Spectre status – or her big guns.

* * *

Angie Shepard was restless ever since returning to Ilos. Without Liara there she itched to be back on the hunt but she knew there was nothing she could do. Her only consolation was that in a few more days she could finally leave, taking half of the science team with her.

It was a precarious situation. The expedition was not as secret as she would have liked and therefore it would seem strange if the scientists involved would just vanish. Hard to explain that without outright telling everyone that they worked for her on a secret base. Which really defeated the purpose of a secret base.

Garrus and Tali had worked it out in the end. The Turian's expertise in hunting down people who were hard to find and Tali's hacking skills allowed them to create a convincing lie that while it was next to impossible to get a hold on the scientists, they were out there _somewhere_. But they still had to make an appearance once in a while.

So instead of shipping them directly to their lab-planet she would tour around with them, closely monitoring with whom they interacted. After dropping them off one by one the next batch would follow, leaving only a small team behind on Ilos to extract more data.

The scientists weren't exactly happy about this arrangement, but acknowledged the need of secrecy. Liara had handpicked every single one of them, not only looking for excellence but for this special mix of attributes that would make them loyal to their cause. Every one of them was convinced that the Reapers were out there and had the will to stop them – and that Shepard and her merry band were the ones to do it.

Still, they regularly bitched about the restrictions that were placed on them, most notoriously about communication with their family, friends, and colleagues. Which was why Angie was hard pressed to suppress a groan when she saw Doctor Schreck approach her. She really liked the short man in his early forties, but half the time he was bringing one complaint or another to her.

"Hi Captain!" as always the excitable Doctor's comically big eyes – he had bad eyesight that for some reason couldn't be cured - were studiously focused on her, but she knew that underneath he was bubbling with energy. The man had to make a concentrated effort to not burst into one of his enthusiastic talks. Angie actually wished he would; they always reminded her of Liara when she talked about the Protheans. "I just wanted to give you a quick update before we turn in for the night. I feel tomorrow will be quite packed."

Doctor Schreck was a physicist by trade but well versed in many other sciences, especially computer science. His management skills combined with his friendly nature, completely at odds with his name, made him an obvious choice for project leader and his exuberant interest in anything new only sealed the deal.

"I hope it's good news? Have you found the coordinates of this second facility somewhere else?" she said as she shook his hand in greeting.

"Sadly not, but we have made some progress with the indoctrination scanners," he told her. "We finally managed to pinpoint them and figure out how they work, at least in principle."

"I sense a but," Shepard ventured carefully.

"But," he gave her an appreciative smile. "You see, the scanners themselves are only one part that allowed the Protheans to sense indoctrination. The other crucial part is their memory-based technology. Sadly we can't just replicate that. The necessary devices need constant power to keep them from degrading. When the power was cut a year ago, much was lost that is needed to correctly identify an indoctrinated person. In time we may be able to reconstruct the missing elements but we have to master the technology first and find indoctrinated specimens to gather the necessary data."

"Dammit!" Angie pinched the bridge of her nose. "Make the whole project a high priority. We need those scanners fast if we ever want to stand a chance against the Reapers. Anything else?"

"Not much, I will forward a detailed report to you and Doctor T'Soni as soon as we are on Haldeman. Only one other thing: Doctor Vash has finished his preliminary scans on the Conduit – by the way are you certain it won't be possible to bring it with us?" he asked, sidetracked by the possibility, his enthusiasm showing trough, only to be crushed by the shake of her head."A shame. Anyhow, since the Conduit is only a prototype there is no shielding like the proper Relays have. Doctor Vash was able to ascertain that there is a substantial Element Zero core at the centre. But the readings are slightly off. It appears that the Eezo has been altered in some way. We will know more when we disassemble the Conduit, but we don't want to do that just yet."

"Interesting," Shepard mused. "I always thought Element Zero can't be modified. From what I understand it's Hell to work with. Have you seen any equipment that could be responsible for altering Element Zero?"

"No, but who knows? Maybe that's the purpose of Facility Two."

"Yes, maybe," she agreed. "Ugn... That only makes it more important to get the location fast. If there is another type of Eezo, we need access to it, and soon."

They stood together for another minutes, talking about logistics as Kaidan cut into their discussion.

"Normandy to Captain Shepard. A call by the Alliance brass just came in. They _demand_ your presence," the normally amiable Lieutenant managed to convey the same disgust she felt at the order. _Has to be Mikhailovich. Hackett knows better._

Acknowledging Kaidan's words and excusing herself from Doctor Schreck she made for the shuttle, her mood suddenly sour.

* * *

Joker was bored and that he had the graveyard-shift had nothing to do with that. After two weeks doing almost nothing on Ilos, the monotony only disrupted by the brief chase after the mysterious shuttle, and another half week hiding somewhere near Batarian space anyone would. And he couldn't even share in some good old-fashioned banter-battle with Garrus, what with the radio silence and all that. He idly wondered if the ground team would be bored as well, but he doubted it. Tali might, but the rest was trained to be patient. Kaidan and Shepard had to in order to master their biotics and Garrus his marksman skills. They would be frustrated though, because once again the Alliance had dumped them into a situation that hardly called for such a high-profile team. Why couldn't they get the interesting missions like Mefen? But no, some hotshot N6 had to make a mess out of that one...

He idly flicked through his movie collection, that contrary to popular belief did not consist of porn. Not entirely anyway. He briefly considered to watch the second Blasto but decided against it. Despite being a decent vid it somewhat lacked in the logic department and right now he wanted something to stimulate his underused mental facilities. _Boring. To many Elcor. Boring. Ugh – why do I even have this one? Maybe this? Nah._

He was halfway through the list as the ship-VI announced a new priority message over QEC. Which was odd, since they were mostly used for voice communication. Quickly skimming over the message he mentally cursed his luck. With Kaidan on the ground, Pressly still on shore leave, and Adams in the pod, he had the deck.

The situation was really simple. The message was an urgent request for backup but only Shepard could grant it. And since it was neither the Alliance nor the Council he really shouldn't break radio-silence. Except the outsider happened to be her girlfriend. From the sound of the message it was really important for Shepard to hear this, but if he broke with protocol the brass would hear it. On the other side the Admirals were back on Acturus whereas Shepard was right here to kick his fragile arse. _Damned if you do, damned if you don't._

Checking the clock against the mission plan he came to a decision. In three hours time the show would go down and radio-silence would be pointless. He only hoped it would not be too late.

* * *

Shepard was perched on a small rise shrouded by the dark, moonless night. Sniper rifle drawn, one of the mission targets behind her, she surveyed the camp before her. She could just make out the form of her Turian squadmate in the distance in a similar position. In the small valley between them was one of the freighters that those bloody pirates had fitted with a small assortment of weapons – and some animal cages. Tali and Kaidan were down their rigging it to explode, once in a while stepping over one of the dead sentries. It was the last ship and with the bombing beacons set all that was left was taking out a couple of the leaders to even further promote chaos. _Ah the beauty of it! __One brief flash of it and than nothing. The colonists of Tiptree will be safe and none will be the wiser who wiped out those imbeciles. _

Glancing down again Angie saw Kaidan waving at her, signalling that they were all set. Giving him a muted acknowledging sign she began to make her way towards the main camp. Out of the corner of the eye she saw Garrus doing the same, just as the rest of her team was making their way towards some rocks in the distance were they had hidden the Mako.

Already having scouted out her target she flicked on the heat view of her sniper rifle. _Bloody amateurs._ She thought. Not only were they using tents instead of prefabs, they didn't even use therma-shielded ones. It was easy to make out the sleeping form of the leader of this sorry bunch. She was raising her hand as soon as the cross-hair had settled on her target. Some distance away Garrus did the same. She lowered her arm and started the count, just as she knew he did. _Ten. Nine. Eight._

"Normandy to Shepard. Please respond," came Jokers voice over her earpiece.

_Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Exhale._

Two shots, almost impossible to separate, rang in the night. They weren't particularly loud, not like in the old days were weapons still used chemical propellants. Still, the rapid displacement of air and the resulting pressure gradient along the flight path of the grain sized projectile ensured that the whole camp heard. Not that it mattered. Ten ships being blown up make enough noise to raise the dead.

Shepard was already running towards the Mako by then, soon joined by Garrus. Only then did she deign to respond. "Lieutenant Moreau, what about radio-silence did you not understand?" there was an audible gulp at the other end of the line at the use of his rank and name instead of his nickname.

"Sorry Captain, but there was an urgent message from Liara, and I thought..." Joker trailed off, not really wanting to fuel her anger.

Angie felt a stab of fear. An urgent message from Liara could only mean that she was in trouble. "When did that message arrive?" she forced herself to ask calmly.

"Uhm, about three hours ago?" he tried to appease her. "It said she was near Omega, the rest didn't make any sense but it sounded pretty urgent. Sorry if I made the right call, but I guessed by now the show must have started."

"Fuck, Omega? Nevermind that. Start the bombing now and send me the message to the Mako. Rendezvous in ten," she said just as she hastened her pace, mentally calculating how fast the Normandy could reach Omega. Luckily they were near the border but it would still take a couple of hours to reach the heart of the Terminus, even at full speed and provided that they got through the relays swiftly. _Shit, just hang in there Liara!_

* * *

**Codex:** Avalé is an Asari exclamation of my own invention and in this context is the equivalent of 'Dammit!'. I introduced it, because I can't have Liara swearing on screen. Not yet anyway.

Liara's flashback: Asari don't have a perfect photographic memory like Salarians or Drell have, rather they have a selective photographic memory, triggered by a meld. That means everything shared trough a meld will always be remembered in perfect detail– it's much like The Sight in the Dresdenverse. It also holds true for most different species. A Human that experiences a memory through a meld will always remember it afterwards. And yes, this CAN be used to torture others. In fact Liara has used it against Bato.

Mass Effect Relay 101: I contemplated if I should write this explanation or not, fearing to rob myself of a future, as of yet not planned plot twist. But then again, I love giving this kind of nerdy explanations. And apparently some reviewers do as well.  
So. What I wrote up there reflects the organic's knowledge at this point in time. It's correct from a empirical point of view, but actually a lot of bullshit.  
First of all, there are no point-to-point relays. All of them are connected to all others in a thousand lightyears radius. There are also a few Alpha Type Relays (as established in Arrival) which can connect to any Relay and any normal Relay can connect to all Alpha Types.

Connected Relays share a sort of Quantum Entanglement that can be tracked by the Relays to establish the Mass Effect tunnel through which ships can jump from Relay to Relay almost instantaneously. That those QE-links exist and are traceable was established in Leviathan. It's also the only explanation why the Mu-Relay still works after being kicked out of its place.  
But that's what's possible in terms of hardware. In software the Reapers have restricted which Relays can and can not connect. They build a bloody Rat's Maze out of them!  
They knew which planets would most likely yield viable sapient species for the next harvest. They then made sure whom they encountered next. They planned for the Asari and Salarians to meet up on the Citadel first, because of all the races they would get along best and start the Galactic community. Also the curiosity of the Salarians mixed with the reluctance of the more conservative Asari would ensure that progress would not be halted but not exceed what the Reapers deemed safe. Unchecked the Salarians might have necessitated a Harvest much sooner. That's not in the interest of the Reapers.  
But no plan, even if made by almost godlike AIs, survives contact with reality. Initially the Krogan's were meant to be the driving military force, ensuring that there was always enough war and strife. The Reapers didn't want another Prothean Empire. To much unity makes the Harvest a) gruesome and b) a lengthy affair. But the bloody turtles had to nuke themselves back into the stone age...  
Hence Sovereign sicking the Rachnii on the Asari and Salarians. The Salarians uplift the Krogans back to where they were (or Sovereing would have nudged the Turians to make an appearance). Krogans rebel, Turians come in swinging and stomp the Krogan down (with a little help of their new friends).  
What's important here is that all these species were balled into a relatively small volume of the Galaxy. Yet it takes them almost millennia to actually meet. By the time that the Salarians reached the Citadel it would have been feasible (but not easy) for them to simply fly to either Tuchanka or Palavan, no Relays needed. Same for the Rachnii. Yet the first to actually meet were the Asari and Salarians – not exactly direct neighbours. All because the Reapers control the roads in the maze.

Another thing: The Relays in the home systems are not Star Type but Point Type Relays. The next system however has always a Star Type Relay right on top of the exit. That gives the Homeworlds a better defensible position. Think of it like a moat. The Reapers, while encouraging war, don't want the species wiping each other out completely.


	15. The Piggyback Ride of the Century

**AN**: I'm back!

Sorry for breaking my promise and not finishing the Meolin miniarc before scampering off. But onwards!

Ah, I missed writing badass!Liara!

* * *

Liara was pacing in front of the freighter's exit hatch. She had made sure her armour was strapped on tight and her weapons in perfect condition – three times. Feron was standing a few steps away, observing her pacing. Suddenly Liara stopped.

"We can't delay any longer. If Shepard comes she will just have to join us on the ground," she told the empty space before her. Turning towards the Drell she asked, "What can you tell me about the facility?"

"Not much, I'm afraid. I've been there only two times and both visits have been rather short," he answered for the third time, bringing up a hologram of a crude map on his omni-tool. He continued pointing out various areas of interest. "There is a big cargo area where ships can land. It is shielded by a Faraday cage that has to be opened in order to land. Or..." he grinned impishly. "Well, I suppose we could just land anyway. It's not as if a few wires can hold back a space ship.

"Then we have the communication hub. It's the main building. Can't miss it as it has this huge antenna array up top. There are a couple of secure rooms inside, as far as I know. Probably the place where Meolin is held.

"Last we have the barracks on the left and some offices on the right side of the main building. There are some twenty staff on base at all times but only about ten are guards. Double that for Bato and his goons. But no promises."

"So, there should be about twenty armed mercenaries down there, thirty to be on the safe side. That doesn't sound too bad..."

"What?! Did you not listen Liara? I am talking about twenty, maybe thirty trained and armed mercenaries in the Shadow Broker's employ!" he shouted, exasperated at her depreciative disregard of their odds. "I told you, I will help you get Meolin and his data. I didn't sign up for a suicide mission!"

"Come on Feron. I have faced worse odds before. Between landing on Ilos and killing Saren there had to be at least two hundred Geth in our way," Liara tried to appease him.

"That's all well and good, but I'm not Captain Bloody Shepard!" he retorted.

"Of course you aren't," she deadpanned. "If you were we would already be down there and the base would be in shambles. There might be explosions involved.

"But believe me, twenty guards are nothing to be concerned about," Liara said with a finality that let any retort die on the Drell's lips.

After a few seconds of intense staring, the last of Feron's resistance crumbled. "Fine, but I still believe crashing the front door will not work. We need a distraction."

Liara's wicked grin sent chills down his spine.

* * *

"Remind me again why I have agreed to this!" Feron screamed against the loud gale. He was riding piggyback, while Liara was doing her best to keep her balance. It wouldn't do to fall out of the freighter just yet. Flying on autopilot the ship approached the base on a low vector. Thankfully the magnetic storms that ravaged Alingon made any active defence next to impossible, so they weren't worried to be shot out of the sky.

"Because you owe me Feron. You tried to betray me _and_ the Shadow Broker. Making amends is your only way out and I am prepared to give you that chance – the Shadow Broker will not," Liara responded evenly. Not a small feat considering their situation. "Now be silent, this takes a lot of concentration."

The ship slowed down to make the final turn before landing, still a hundred meters above ground. Just as the main building appeared below them Liara jumped; Feron – doing his best not to scream – hung on for dear life.

To say their descent was rocky would be an understatement. Not only had they still some momentum from the ship, the fierce storm whipped them this way and that. Add to it that Liara more or less invented biotic flight some hours ago from scratch... Under normal conditions gliding through the cables that formed the Faraday cage should have been easy, but conditions were hardly normal – they never were. The cables were separated by several meters, but with the current gale it felt more like fiddling twine through a needle's eye. It was a near thing. Liara lost her focus for a couple of seconds as Feron bumped into a cable whipping them around even more savagely than the storm.

"Remind me to never do that again," Feron panted, clutching his side, as they both were sprawled on the flat roof of their destination.

"Agreed," Liara acceded. _I will never tell Angie about this! She will do it just for fun!_

"Let's go," she finally said, struggling to get back on her shaky legs. Feron let out a groan but did his best to follow her towards a nearby hatch.

Now standing they could see the yard where their ship had landed. They hadn't had time to admire their handiwork during the descent but now they had a moment to take it in.

The ship had been programmed to wait a couple of seconds after it dropped them off. Then it unceremoniously broke through the wires above the landing zone. It didn't take long for the base's security to arrive and now fifteen armed guards – mostly Batarians and Turians but Liara also saw one Krogan and two Salarians – surrounded the empty ship, waiting for something to happen.

Feron, more skilled in hacking than Liara, was examining the door for alarms and booby traps. He did find a standard alarm circuit that would alert the base as soon as it was opened. Bypassing it was child's play and soon they were inside.

The secure rooms weren't on the topmost floor but something else caught their attention. A single Batarian guard was standing in front of a heavily fortified door. Trapping him in a stasis field Liara ensured that he would not scream or run off. Feron grabbed him into a choke hold and soon he fell unconscious. Quickly scanning through the guard's omni-tool he found the access codes to the door and opened it, dragging the guard inside, Liara following quickly.

As soon as the door was closed again Liara shot the unconscious guard in the head. Feron recoiled. "Why did you do that?" he asked in shock.

"He saw us Feron," she answered dispassionately. " If possible I would like to remain anonymous. Granted, that hope might be foolish thanks to you, but there is no sense giving up before knowing. Besides he might wake up while we are still here. It's not a good idea to leave merely incapacitated enemies behind you."

Feron was still in shock at the casual display of lethal force against a helpless enemy. He had been in this situation before – this was the Terminus after all – even done it himself on occasion, but he still struggled to reconcile the image of the pleasant Asari he had talked to at the Afterlife to this ruthless killer. He had already seen how cold she could be but this was a new level!

"Hmm, this appears to be a data node, containing a sizeable amount of the Broker's information. This could help me greatly in my work," Liara's voice cut into his musings. She was typing on a nearby console, bringing up one chart after the other. "No sense letting it go to waste."

* * *

"Uh, Captain... We just received a massive data burst from Liara," Joker's voice came over the intercom. The Normandy had finally arrived at its destination and Shepard was busy preparing her gear. In less than half an hour they would be on Alingon.

"What's in it Lieutenant," she asked while reassembling her sniper rifle.

"Can't say Ma'am, standard procedure is not to open large data packages without the CO's or XO's consent," he apologized.

"Well you have it now. Get on with it," she really had no time for this right now.

After a few seconds she heard Joker whistle appreciatively. "Jackpot! Captain it's an information cache curtsey to the Shadow Broker."

_You rock girl! _Angie allowed herself a grin. Not only did the message mean her lover was still alive and kicking but she also managed what nobody had done before – infiltrate the Broker's network. Now they only had to make a clean getaway. "That's good Lieutenant," she commented. "Send the data to a secure server via QEC. Might take a while but that should throw them off for some time.

"And Joker... Why is it that my pilot brings this to my attention and not – say - the comm officer?"

"Umm..."

"Is it because you want to portray yourself in a good light to make up for your last blunder?"

"Is it working?" he answered cheekily, finally regaining his usual attitude.

"Carry on Lieutenant Moreau," she said with a smile he couldn't see. _Why can't I stay mad at the cheeky bastard? Oh that's right, because without him it would be dull. Not that I will ever let him know that._

"Um Captain?" Joker radioed her again after only a few moments. "You are not gonna like this..."

_Why me?_

* * *

"I really hate that part when the shooting starts," Feron groaned as he ducked behind cover. Not soon after they had left the server room an alarm started blaring, followed by the stomping of boots. Now they were pinned down by four guards.

Across the hallway, Liara took an opportunity and hurled a Singularity towards their enemies, trapping two of them. She ducked back into cover just in time as the remaining two opened fire on her. Mentally picturing the path to the floating sphere of dark energy she released another Mass Effect field, this time a Warp. Her aim proved true, evidenced by the sonic boom that followed the explosion the two interfering fields created.

Stealing a quick glance she confirmed that the two trapped mercenaries were dead or incapacitated. Another was laying prone on the floor, moaning and struggling to get up. Two quick shots from her heavy pistol put him down. The remaining adversary proved his intelligence and quickly retreated.

The rest was brief and fairly routine for Liara but Feron seemed about ready to break down. It was obvious that he was no fighter. Still he tried hard to be useful, laying cover fire and distracting guards so Liara could pick them off with either her biotics, her pistol, or a combination thereof.

As if to reward her for her prowess a special someone waited in front of the cells.

"Bato," she growled after a quick glance around the corner. Instead of her usual careful tactics this time she decided on something a little bit more reckless but much more satisfying. Erecting an additional biotic barrier layered above her kinetic shields she turned the corner and immediately began shooting at the Batarian's two companions, dropping them in short order. Just as her barrier was about to fail the last of the duo fell, leaving Bato the only one left standing. With a flick of her wrist she encased him in a stasis field.

Liara took her time as she sauntered up to the disgusting four-eyed beast, letting him stew in some of the fear he had wanted for her to feel. Deciding on a more personal approach she let her right hand glow in ominous biotic-blue. Shepard had come up with this particular technique. The laws that governed Biotics weren't fully understood yet as they seemed both less and more than what was covered by the standard Mass Effect Field Theory. Right at this moment however Liara did not care how it worked. What was important was that her hand became hard as diamond and she could throw a punch that rivalled a Krogan Battlemaster's Charge – only much more concentrated.

"Hello Bato. Remember me? As I recall you promised to 'break me'. Well, funny how things turn out sometimes." she told him, just as she draw her still glowing hand back. The punch shattered his armour and caved in his ribcage. The trauma squashed his heart and lungs, immediately sending him into shock. After convulsing for a few seconds he stilled, clearly dead.

Not sparing the mercenary a second glance Liara busied herself with opening the cell he had guarded. Feron meanwhile was playing lookout, looking a bit queasy.

Inside Meolin was sitting on the single cot. As Liara opened the door he was looking up at her.

"If you want the data on my omni, you will have to release me," he told her. It was impossible to tell if he was stalling or not. Everyone in the information business knew that it was only a matter of time before a captive would cave in and spill his secrets. Therefore holders of important information used greyboxes to seal away the information. The beauty of that device was that it was next to impossible to unlock them during torture as it required a fair amount of concentration and mental discipline, something that torture was designed to break. It was by no means a perfect method as they could be decrypted, but it would take far longer than to break a person through torture – or by invading their mind, Liara guessed.

"That can be arranged," she answered after a few seconds consideration. That got the Salarian's attention. For the first time he saw the Asari standing before him, not only looked at her.

"You are Liara T'Soni. Your people murdered my brother!" he cried indignantly.

"If that is what you want to believe... However I'm also the one that can offer you freedom, not that it is worth much with the Broker interested in you. But if you make your decision quick I can also give you protection," she replied stoically, hoping that the rational Salarian nature would take over. For a minute the emotion warred on Meolin's face but in the end reluctant acceptance won out.

"Fine. I see your point. Lead the way," he told her in disgust. "They put my omni in the storage room over there."

Just as they were about to head for the courtyard, Liara's communicator sprang to static filled life.

"N...mand... to ...oni... C... in... lease..." the voice was garbled and barely discernible but Liara would recognize it anywhere.

"Shepard! Thank the Goddess!"

"You called the cavalry? You didn't think I would leave you hanging, would you?" the line was much clearer now, only slightly distorted. Shepard's words were light but her tone was strained. "Listen, as much as I would like to catch up with you, we are in a pinch. Something is following us and I don't believe it's friendly, so this is going to be a quick grab and run. We are five minutes out, so what's your situation? Anything I should worry about?"

"There are three of us, a Salarian, a Drell and myself," Liara began to report. "We are headed for the cargo yard where we... ahem... parked... our ship as a distraction. There were maybe twenty guards outside but at some point we raised an alarm inside. We eliminated nine guards we encountered in the main building, but I don't know if they came from outside or not. There are no active defences I am aware of that could hurt the Normandy."

"All right, sit tight and wait for our signal. We will cover your escape."

* * *

A few tense minutes of waiting just inside the partly opened doors of the main building followed. Feron used his omni-tool to spy out the situation outside, Liara relaying the new intel to the Normandy. The forces outside still guarded the silent freighter but a few kept an eye on the doors they were behind as well. They were not yet convinced if this was not a double ruse where a small infiltration team was the real distraction.

Suddenly a noise even louder than the deafening gale heralded the arrival of the Normandy. Before someone could react several red laser beams cut the cables that would have been in her way. The ship could have just broken through, but Joker was _very_ protective of the paint job. He let his baby float just above ground so that they could make a quit exit. The Normandy flanked the encamped guards, leaving them open for attack. The GARDIAN lasers made short work of five of their number.

"Go Liara, we'll cover you!" Shepard commanded over the radio, just as the rear hatch opened, revealing the Captain, Garrus, Tali and Kaidan laying down suppression fire on the mercenaries that had managed to reach cover.

Feron went first, followed by Meolin and Liara. The Salarian was the least protected, as he had no armour, only a liberated kinetic shield module clipped to his belt. Liara wanted to keep an eye on him to help him in case of an emergency.

A sudden roar to her left startled her. She hadn't paid enough attention, focused as she was on the Salarian before her, and now the Krogan was charging her. She had just enough time to realize that it was not a Krogan at all but a grotesquely large Salarian!  
Her eyes widened in fear as she recognized him as Tazzik, one of the Broker's most trusted enforcers. In the next moment the air was driven out of her lungs as Liara was pushed against a container. Distantly she heard Angie cry out for her.

Tazzik tried to choke her as Liara struggled, throwing feeble Biotic punches at her assailant. Just as her vision darkened, the pressure on her throat vanished and Liara slumped to the ground. After taking a couple of desperate gulps of air she managed to get back on her feet, still in a daze and seeing spots. Another angry roar snapped her back to focus on the situation at hand.

Feron had jumped on the Salarian's back, pawing at his face. Apparently he hit one of the Salarian's eyes, seeing as Tazzik's right hand covered one of them, while with his left he was trying to dislodge the Drell. Just in that moment the Salarian got a hold of Feron and dislodged him in short order. He held him up by the neck for a moment, letting him struggle against his grip. With a grunt he threw the Drell towards the still pinned down mercenaries where he came to rest in a heap.

Just as he was turning around to focus on Liara once more he was thrown himself by a very powerful Biotic Throw. Shepard, who by now had joined Liara, had not wasted her chance to hit the Salarian alone. She immediately grabbed Liara's arm and dragged her towards the Normandy.

"Feron... we have to save him!" Liara finally remembered halfway to the ship.

"There is no time!" Angie told her, gesticulating towards the air. Just in that moment a huge shape appeared in the mists. It had to be a ship at least the size of a cruiser but it looked more like an asteroid. The ominous red glow didn't help in the slightest. Liara gaped at it for a second than ceased all resistance, letting herself be dragged to the Normandy.

As soon as they were on board, the doors still closing, Joker took off, followed by a few quick swerve. Shepard immediately set off towards the CIC, forgoing the hideously slow elevator in favour for the maintenance ladders.

"Status report!" she shouted as she ran.

"Don't know what that thing is, Captain but it packs one hell of a punch! Now if you don't mind I'm concentrating on not getting hit!" Joker was shouting, close to panic. _Joker's never been this tense before. Who are they?_

Just as she arrived at her command post, the swerving subsided.

"I think we are clear now Captain," a much more collected Joker radioed her. "This baby is still the most nimble lady in the galaxy. At least with me twirling her bits." There were a few guffaws at his innuendo. Deciding to forgo proper decorum in favour of raising the spirit, she decided to join the banter. _What the hell. We deserve some fun._

"And what would you know about twirling a lady's bits, Mister Moreau?" Shepard asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"Why, I will have you know, I did the most extensive study _to date_, on comparative bit twirling. If you want an excerpt of my research data, I can recommend 'Venia'..." he broke off. "Too much?"

"Just a bit Joker," she told him, not really upset. "We'll have to scrap the medal as a disciplinary measure."

"Oh no! Woe is me! I don't get to stand for hours and listen to speeches and crap. Whatever shall I do!"

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Angie said, mirth in her voice, as they were laying in the Captain's bed. "Some idiots tried to scam you on your way to Omega, knowing that you were a Biotic and probably way out of their league. You stomped them and stole their ride. Then Aria invites you into her booth, giving you advice which she never does for free. Later you seduce..."

"I did not seduce Feron!" Liara huffed indignantly, straining a bit against Shepard's embrace.

"...seduce your informant who wanted to betray you, causing him to second guess himself. Then you ignore Aria's advice and get captured by some two-bit thugs," Liara managed to look contrite at that statement but Angie continued mercilessly. "You put the fear of God into the leader and made him piss himself..."

"He did not piss himself!"

"...almost piss himself even though you were captured and bound. You escaped and apparently Aria helped you out _again, _without even asking for something in return."

"We would have escaped even without her help," Liara mumbled, resigned that she would not get off the hook.

"You invented Biotic flight in a dirty alleyway on Omega of all places, just to storm a building minimizing collateral damage. After finding your target gone you finally do the smart thing and contacted me," Angie said with a smile and a kiss, taking away some of the sting. "But instead of waiting for me you barge into an unknown situation without any backup..."

"Feron was with me," she tried to interject.

"... any competent backup," Shepard allowed. "And to top it all you barge in flying with your new-found powers, doing something like a HALO jump during a storm of at least scale ten if not higher. With someone riding piggyback. You not only manage to survive but also infiltrate one of the Shadow Broker's bases without anyone immediately noticing. Then you managed to steal some very important data and rescue your target with a minimum of fuss.

"You don't do normal, Liebling, do you?" she finished with a chuckle.

"Well, that makes two of us, don't you think?" Liara said with a smile, snuggling closer to her lover. "Besides all would have been for nothing if you hadn't come for me."

"You know I will always come for you Liara, if you only let me," Angie answered, suddenly serious. "I know I can't wrap you in cotton and leave you somewhere safe – and frankly I don't want to. I don't believe I can save the Galaxy without you by my side. I can't save it for the Humans, the Turians, the Asari, and all the others. It's just to big! But I can save it for you. With you.

"I want to be by your side no matter what we get into. I know we can't face _everything_ together. But please, don't take such high risks without me. You know I would drop anything in a heartbeat for you. Just let me know and I will be there for you."

"I... Yes, I promise," Liara relented. "But this goes both ways. I don't want you to take on high risks without me either. I want... have to be with you, damn the danger. Without you I... I wouldn't know what to do. I would rather die."

"Hush, don't say that, Liebling. Neither of us is going to die anytime soon."

As Liara was drowsing off, Angie was still thinking. _Time. It all comes down to time. We need time to prepare, time to wake up the Galaxy. I hope we will be given enough, but I fear we won't. And even if we survive by some miracle... I can give her a hundred years but after that? What will happen to Liara when I'm gone?_


End file.
